The Book of Romans: Verse by Verse – Part 10
07/02/16 (4/25) Video Broadcast
We are now beginning our
10th segment on the book
of Romans verse by verse.
Part number 10 and we got
2 more to go and looks
like about the right
size for a 12 part DVD.
I think will probably
work pretty well.
And for those who might be
wanting that, we might be
doing that.
I'll be in prayer about
that but we are in our
10th segment and we are up
to Romans chapter 12 but
we're going to go ahead
and start with the last
few verses in chapter 11
just to try to get a good
sense of the context.
Whoops, wrong slide.
I don't have a summary
this time but we will work
on that hopefully for
the next broadcast.
But our first scripture,
we're going to start in
Romans chapter 11 and
verse 33 when Paul just--I
got the sense he is overwhelmed here and he says, Oh, the depth of the riches about the wisdom and knowledge of Elohim. How many times have I said that myself just standing in "awe" of Yahweh's word and his wisdom. How unsearchable are his judgments and his ways past finding out. For who has known the mind of Yahweh or who has become his counselor? Or who has first given to him and shall be repaid to him for, of him and through and to him are all things. To whom be glory forever. Amen. So Yahweh's wisdom scripture says is unsearchable and his ways past finding out.
Why do we then try to seek it? Because it's a fountain of awesomeness, that's why. So we can learn more about him and what he's about, that's why. And we see scripture says in Psalm 147 verse 4 says, he counts the number of starts. He calls them all by name. Do you realize how many stars there are in the universe? There are more stars in the universe than there are grains of sand on all the world's beaches combined. That's a scientific fact. Great is our master he calls him all by name. He knows all their names. Great is our master and mighty and power, his understanding, his infinite. Infinite, that means there's never a point where he would say, "Okay, now I've touched you all I know." There's no end to what he knows. Meditate on that for a minute. The reason why his ways are unsearchable it's because his wisdom and knowledge doesn't have any end to it. Literally no point where he could teach you all he knows. There's no end to what he knows. That's how awesomely amazing he is. So Yahweh lifts up the humble and he cast the wicked down to the ground. He doesn't like it when people boast in their knowledge or wisdom because really it's nothing. It's really nothing compared to his.
So Romans 12, I beseech you therefore, brethren.
Now whenever you see the word therefore, ask yourself why is it therefore? What is thetherefore? The word therefore in the Greek literally means "because of this" or "because of what I just said." I beseech you because of what I just said, brethren, by the mercies of Elohim that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to Elohim, which is your reasonable service and do not be conformed to this world but be transformed by the renewing of your mind that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of Elohim. So because Yahweh's mercy is--his knowledge is infinite, he not only knows everything there is to know, he also knows and sees every single one of your blind spots.
Way of god and I'm not talking about the blind spot in your eye. I'm talking about the blind spot in the area of you don't even realize you're doing something wrong, something very offensive to him and you're doing it. You don't even realize the pride in your own heart and he sees it and you're oblivious to it.
And so we have to be transformed by the renewing of our minds as we seek after and pursue
the wisdom of Yahweh so that our bodies are in
instruments of righteousness rather than death. So that our bodies are a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to Elohim which is your reasonable service, only know that the law is holy and just and good. And so the law tells us, the Torah, tells us what is the right way to live and so the weak can heed his word and we can have this renewed minds. Your minds have already been trained enough and a cursed practices and sin. And now we want to retrain our minds so that we're able to be transformed into holiness. And there are things going on in our heart we don't even know are there. The scripture says the heart is deceitful above all things, Jeremiah 17 verse 9 and 10, and desperately wicked, who can know it? I, Yahweh, search the heart. I test the mind even to give every man according to his ways, according to the fruit of his doings. So he, who knows everything, searches and tests the mind and the heart. So we need to have that renewed mind and subjected to that testing so that we might hear from him what we need to change in order to be more of a reflection of his image, which is what he created us to be. And so Yahweh knows all the good, bad and ugly and glorious about us. He knows it all already. So we might as well just say, "Okay, you know, please show me. Reveal my own heart to me."
And so we are encouraged to present our bodies which a part from Messiah or just a bag of--or dirt bags, you know, literally dirt bags. And remain from the dust of the earth and so we need to have our dirt bag transform into something Yahweh can use. And that is when we become a part of the body of Messiah that we become transformed to something that Yahweh can use. And so our bodies are supposed to be a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to Elohim which is reasonable service. And so we present our members now as instruments of righteousness and we need to let Yahweh's word transform us by the renewing of our minds, no longer we conforming ourselves to this world.
This world in his ways, we have rejected. The word and Yahweh's ways we have accepted. 1 John 2:15 says, do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the father is not in him. For all that is the world, the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes and the pride of life is not of the father but is of the world. And the world is passing away and the lust of it. But he who does the will of Elohim, abides forever. Beautiful words here.
So what are we going to do? Are we going to enjoy and love the things that the world does? Are we going to say, no I reject those things? We cannot love Yahweh and love the world at the same time. The two are incompatible, you can't have both.
Otherwise, we become adulterous and adulteresses, James 44. Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with Elohim? Whoever therefore wants to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of Elohim.
There are two things completely opposed to one another and yet, I do see a lot of worldliness among
believers today. And people who have embrace with the world selling, the focus on the external, the focus on the flesh and how we look, the pride for countenances. Believers post it themselves on Facebook trying to look like a tough guy. I thought we're supposed to look like a nice guy. I though we're supposed to look like a friendly person, someone that you can engage and someone who will love you and care about you. And instead of the eyes that allure and the duck
lips and the whole spirit of the world but we've not received the spirit of the world.
Not the spirit of the world have we received it but the spirit who's from Elohim. That's what we've received, that we might know the things that have been freely given to us by Elohim. You can't even know truth as it's intended to be because truth is more than a side of keeping and whatnot, it's more than that. It's love, walking in love. And so we talked about conformity.
Can't be conformed with the world, you have to be transformed by the renewing of your mind that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of Elohim. And what he is saying here is really what he is saying here, that we might know the things which happen freely given to us, that wisdom. What he has done for us, the testimony we have. And so we have to aware of the traps and the pits and the snares and we have to avoid them. I have a study called the Spirit of the World we
shared it last year in the spring http://www.eliyah.com/tran scripts/ on the Roman date of April 11, 2015.
And so Paul says, don't be conformed to it. We can't find what the good and acceptable and perfect will of Elohim is if we're entertaining and embracing and receiving a worldly spirit.
Now, this is a daily process of renewal that happens. It's not an overnight thing that you become a disciple and immediately you know everything and you do everything. We have to unlearn some things that we've learned. Sometimes it's hard to unlearn than it is to learn. We're used to thinking in certain for such a long time, it takes a while to unlearn that and learn a different way of thinking. We didn't understand it's an ongoing process that we seek. We want to let the new thing. The new thing creates new pathways in our brains, new and superior ways of thinking that will in turn change our actions so that we are transformed.
So verse 3 says, for I say through the grace given to me, to everyone who has among you not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think soberly as Elohim has dealt to each one a measure of faith. So we are each on this journey and some of us have been on this path a longer time than others and some of us have started from a different place than others. Some people grew up in abusive households and have a harder time with fears and anxieties and bitterness and anger. Others grew up on good households and have a harder time changing their belief says into something because different than their parents and their sisters and brothers. If you're raised in a traditional Christian household, I think you know what I'm talking about. A different way of thinking, you have to unlearn all these stuff. Someone who grew up on an unbelieving household, they got no problem what in this new stuff--you know, it's not that hard. But listen, we all have a measure of faith and with that comes a responsibility to overcome the obstacles in our lives whatever they might be through this transformed mind and don't look at others as like you're standing on a high post because you have this certain level where you've overcome these things and that you're still working on theirs, when really they already got something kicked down to nothing that you haven't even approached yet being able to kick down on nothing. So get underneath and then bare them up, instead of saying, come up higher where I stand, you know. I myself have areas I'm still struggling with and trying to overcome and get way all ways of thinking going all the way back to childhood that I'm trying to improve my walk. My issues may not be your issues. But we all have things that we're seeking to grow in and improve in our lives and we do have in this time, we grace which not only causes our guilt be far, far away from us, eternally distant from us but that same grace also empowers us to make these changes that we know that we need to make. So we don't all have the same things going on and
don't think yourself more highly than next person because they don't have your issue. Truth be told, they probably have a no problem with something you're having a real issue with. So, humility. Humility. For as we have many members in one body, but
all the members do not have the same function so we, being many, our one body in Messiah and individually members of one another. You know, we talked a lot about, in previous segments, about the body of Messiah and how we have decided now that we're going to agree with the good news. It's no longer we who live. We're crucified with Messiah, we take on his history, his identity, his body, we're a part of his body now. And so now, we're talking about with this body really, it does function like a body and we have many members in one body but not all members have the same function. So just because someone isn't doing what you were doing, whether in ministry or whatever, it doesn't mean you're in a higher place than they are. We all have different functions as members of the body Messiah. If you're not behind a microphone or camera teaching, it doesn't mean you're in a lesser place than I am. I'm in a more dangerous place than you are because teachers receive stricter judgment. And so, you know, the Feast of Tabernacles that we host every year, there's some who do teachings and lead things and there are others who help keep restrooms tidy and wash tables but in my eyes and in Yahweh's eyes, we're all equal. We're all serving the body of Messiah in some necessary capacity.
Doesn't mean one's any better than the other, we're all doing what we are feeling called to do, what we feel we have to do. And as long as it's an act of service toward the people, they're both just acts of service. With the actual services, really doesn't matter so much as long as we're serving in some capacity.
Now, 1 Samuel chapter 30 verses 21-22. David came with 200 men, who had been so worried they could not follow David whom they also had made to stay at the Brook Besor. They went out to meet David and to meet the people who are with them and when David came near the people, he greeted them. He is coming back from the spoils of war. And says, then all the wicked and worthless men of those who went with David answered and said, because he did not go with us. We will not give them any of the spoil that we have recovered except for every man's wife and children that they may lead them away and depart. David said, my brother and you shall do so with what Yahweh has given us, who has preserved us and delivered us--delivered into our hand the troop that came against us for who he do in this matter but as his part as who goes down to the battle, so shall his part be who stays by the supplies they shall share like. So it was from that day forward, he made a statue in the wilderness for Israel to this day. And David's mentality was, well they didn't have that. Yahweh wasn't using them for that but Yahweh use him another capacity so they're guarding the supplies and here, we all get the same thing. So the one who's more visible, you know, I would say people on my particular calling are probably less likely to get the rewards and in the age to come because of the all the pitfalls that are here, whereas the person who's in the background being a helper, serving, you know, doing some of the things that are not so visible, you know, Yahweh's going to, you know, like I said, many who are last shall be first and first, last. So, you know, that's what I'm talking about. We all have different gifts and they don't all have the same function but to each of us has given this measure of faith to use them in proportion. So as it says, Romans 12 6th, having then gift differing according to the grace given to us let us use them if prophecy with prophesy and proportion to our faith or in ministry, let's use it in ministering. He who teaches him, teaching. He exhorts in the exhortation. He who gives with liberality. He who lives with diligence. He who shows mercy with cheerfulness. And so there are 7 spiritual gifts that are listed here in Romans 12.
Prophecy, ministry which means serving, that's one of the areas I feel Yahweh has me. Teaching, another area he has me. Exhortation, sometimes I use that. Giving, sometimes. Leading, sometimes. Mercy, sometimes. Doesn't mean I have everything but certain areas I have stronger gifts than others and probably all of us to some degree have portions but we all have areas of strength and some people may not have any gift at all in one of these seven gifts and that's okay. So how do you know on which ones do I have? Well, there are 2 gifts that we're all given. Everybody has. What are they? First one is the gift of grace and the second one
is the gift of the Holy Spirit. Each one of us have those 2 gifts and we can praise Yahweh for them. Remember that they are gifts, you didn't earn them, you didn't--you can't glorify yourself in them because Yahweh gave them to you. And be like Yahweh--you know, father giving you a present and you just waltz like you've earned when really it was a free gift. But if you're not going any kind of ministry, if
you're not exercising your gifts in a either congregational or societal context at all, mix by in something to you. Everybody is called in the ministry, everybody. The catholic model of the priest with all the gift and they're all doing this upfront and pew warmers and the sitting down paying for the service, you know, here we go. Put the money into the coffers. Some of which has been adopted in some churches.
That's not Yahweh's method. With 1 Corinthians 14 say, anybody has a teaching, a Psalm, a word of exhortation. We're supposed to be a body that's functioning and working together and everybody is called in the ministry. There's never this situation where, well this person is feeling called in the ministry. Everybody is called in the ministry. You, you, and I'm point at you and you and you and all of you are called into ministry. If you're not doing any ministry, you know what, you're not walking the Yahushua walk. Hate to break to you but you're not walking the way his disciples walk either. If you're not busy about our father's business in serving others, and you're living a life of just building your own personal kingdom and serving yourself, you are not pattering your life after Messiah.
Hate to break to you, it's the truth. It's the typical everyday self-serving lifestyle really that's the essence of the so-called American dream, this vision that people have of how they're supposed to go about their life and build up this big old pile of money. And then they are the end of their lives, sitting on top of a big old pile of money, so what?
As I check the caskets are all the same size and many of them realize about that time, the peace and happiness, they sought to obtain through the deceptionist, deception of riches never they come. Let me tell you about Yahweh's dream, Yahweh's dream for you. His vision for you. His vision for you is that you are storing up a
spiritual retirement program that your life would consist of loving and blessing another person. Your life would consist of serving your fellow men, who is in need. The Yahweh dream or the Yahweh's vision for you is that he would see his son Yahushua in you.
And that you would be Messiah's arms and his legs, his fit, his hands reaching out in service to others, to the down trodden.
Everybody and that includes you, whoever I'm talking to. Don't be a goat.
Matthew 25:31 it says, when the son of man comes in his glory and the holy angels with him, all the holy angels with him then he will sit on the throne of his glory. All the nations will be gathered before him and he will separate them one from another. As a shepherd divides his sheep from the goats and he will set the sheep on his right hand but the goats on his left. Then the king will say to those on his right hand, come you blessed of my father. And hear it, the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world, for I was hungry and you gave me food. I was thirsty and you gave me drink. I was a stranger and you took me in. I was naked and you clothed me. I was sick and you visited me. I was in prison and you came to me. Then the righteous will answer him saying, master when do we see you hungry and feed you or thirsty and give you drink? When do we see you a stranger and take you in or naked and cloth you or when do we see you sick or in prison and come to you? The king will answer and say to them, surely I say to you and as much as you did it to the world least of these my brethren, you did to me.
Think about that. Yahushua is in prison right now. Yahushua is sick. He's lonely as a stranger. He's hungry, going to let him starve? Let them go without clothing? Let them brought in prison? You wouldn't do that, would you? Surely, you wouldn't. You live in the American dream? Probably are, probably are.
Then he will also say to those in the left hand, the part for me you cursed into the everlasting in fire prepare for the devil and his angels. For I was hungry and you gave me no food. I was thirsty and you gave me no drink. I was a stranger and you did not take me in. Naked and you did not clothe me. Sick and in prison, and you did not visit me.
Then they also answered him saying, master, when will we see you hungry or thirsty or stranger and naked or sick in a prison and did that minister to you? Never saw you doing that, where were you? Then he will answer them as earlyIsay to you and as much as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to me. And these will go away into everlasting punishment but the righteous, into the eternal life. Say the sheep are those who chose to love. They look around, they saw the needs that were around them, the needs of the people around them, they saw the people that were hurting and they chose to love. And what they were doing was they were loving Yahushua. So you can't love Yahushua and ignore the needs out there at the same time. You can't claim to love him until you love others and this doesn't have to be just some physical sickness and physical poverty and physical prison and physical hunger that we're seeing here. There are people who are hungering in more important ways than the physical. Hungering and thirsting for the righteous living.
Many of you are listening to this broadcast have that hunger and thirst. You want to know what Yahweh says to you about righteous living and I'm glad to share it with you.
And here's one of them, don't be a goat because
there are people who, out there, who are spiritually in prison in slavery to sin and addictions. And there's the blind servant introduced on Christianity. They need to have their eyes opened to the prison house that they are in which keeps them from growing and embracing the full council of Yahweh's word from genesis to revelation because all they seem to focus on is Paul. And there are people who are dealing with these addictions, who were enslaved and in prison to sin. Yahushua can set them free. He's calling you to bring him to him and there are people in this world who they feel like outside or some strangers and no one's want to love them and they need your love. But you're a real family because their family has abandoned them. They need the family of Yahweh to show and take these strangers in. And those who have not embraced the fact that we are Israel, they think they're gentiles, they're actually acting as strangers not even realizing it. As if they were strangers from the call of mount Israel, they need to know you're part of the family of Israel and there are some who were in poverty and don't even realize it. You know, Yahushua said to the assembly in Laodicea
he might was well been talking to the United States of America here because he said, because you say I am rich, I have become wealthy and have needed nothing and do you not know that are rich and miserable, poor, blind and naked. I can sell you to buy for me gold, refine the fire that you maybe reach in white garments. That you maybe clothed but the shame of your nakedness may not be revealed and anoint your eyes salve that you may see as many as I love, I rebuke and chasten. Therefore be zealous and repent and that I say to you too. You're not serving out there, you're not being a part of ministry out there, be zealous and repent and you think you got everything you need. You got your climate controlled homes, you cushy little chair you're sitting in right now. And everything's just fine. And you don't realize poor, visible, blind and naked. So what I'm trying to say is that the world out there needing saved and Yahweh has given to you and to me talents, spiritual gifts and we can't hide our talent in the sand and expect him to be please with us. If you read that parable that actually says, he will cast such a person into outer darkness, where they will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. And so that's the attributes of goats.
You see, as a new creation in Messiah, we have a calling now on our life, a vision. The same way when Yahweh created Adam in the Garden of Eden, he said, go and subdue the earth, take dominion. There are--there is ground that the enemy has taken. We are all created from the dust of the earth, right? All mankind created from the dust of the earth and there is ground, there are people, whom the enemy has gained control of. And we're called to go and subdue the earth. Bring these people under a willing subjection to the Messiah. And that, when Yahushua says, all power has given to me heaven and earth, go therefore and make disciple of all nations, we all have that a part--take a part in that calling to take those areas in our own heart that have been giving the enemy and give them to Yahweh and to bring others who have their hearts not yield to the father and bring them under a subjection to Yahweh as a new creation, as a second Adam, so to speak, as the body of messiah, that's what we're called to do now. That's our created purpose in Messiah. And when you're doing what you are created to do, I tell you what, nothing more glorious. I once bought a bunch of ducks and they are in the cage, they've never seen a pond before. All I had was this little child's, you know, tub for, you know, floating around the water, it was sick, it was gross, the little thing at water and I sit in down by our pond there in front of our house and just I didn't want them to fly away because they could fly but I fed in there by the pond and put there in the water there a little bit and they just, they're chomping at their bill for the next 24 hours. And when I open up that cage, I'll tell you what it was glorious, they're just, they went into that water and they're waggling their little waddles in their just splashing around and sticking their head the water and it's like finally, I'm doing what I'm created to do.
And that's what it's like when you begin to do ministry. You finally understand why you're here. It's not for you to just consume and enjoy, eat, drink and be merry. The consume and enjoy mindset is the American dream that's not Yahweh's vision for you.
Not at all. And so here's the spiritual gifts, through
which he will use to perform great exploits against the enemy but there's more. There's more than prophecy in ministering, teaching exhortation giving leading, and nursing, there's more than that. 1 Corinthians 12 verses 1-3 says, not concerning spiritual gifts brethren, I did not want you to be ignorant. You know that you were gentiles. You were one time gentiles, not anymore. Anyway, carried away to these dumb idols however you were led. That's the filthy looker of the amendment. Therefore I make known to you that no one speaking by the spirit of Elohim calls Yahushua a cursed and no one can say Yahushua is master except by the Holy Spirit. There are diversities of gifts but the same spirit. They are diversities of ministries but the same master. There's a lots of different ministries out there. They're not my competition under my partners. There are other people proclaiming these things, I praise Yahweh for every one of them as long they're teaching truth. There are diversities of activities but the same Elohim works in all but the manifestation of the spirit is given to each one for the prophet of all. Hallelujah. For two, one is given the word of wisdom, the spirit another the word of knowledge to the same spirit, to another faith by the same spirit, another gifts of healings by the same spirit, to another workings of miracles, to another prophecy, to another discerning of spirits, to another different kinds of tongues, to another interpretations of tongues, lots more gifts here. But one same spirit works in all these things distributing to each one individually as he wills. For as the body is one and has many members but all the members of that body being many are one body so also is Messiah. For by one spirit, we are all baptized into one body, whether Jews or Greeks or the slaves or free, and have all been made to drink into one spirit. Beautiful. I don't have time to read the rest of this but skip down to 28. And Elohim has appointed these in the congregation,
first apostles, second prophets, third teachers, after that miracles then gives of healing, helps, administrations, varieties of gifts, varieties of tongues are all apostles? Are all prophets? Are all teachers? Are all workers of miracles? Do all have gifts of healings? Do all speak with tongues? Do all interpret? No. That's the rhetorical answer to a rhetorical question, no. Absolutely not. We all have the same gifts, we're all different
but our earnestly desire the best gifts and I show you a more excellent way. What is the excellent way he's talking about? I'll show you here in a minute. But first let's look at these gifts. We have the word of wisdom, the word of knowledge, faith, gifts of healings, miracle working, discerning of spirits, varieties of tongues, helps, administrations and governing, apostleship.
So lots of gifts but he shows you a more excellent way.
May I ask you a question, ask you a question, of all
these gifts, the story about this man he was a powerful, powerful speaker I mean, eloquent, wise, led many to Messiah. He was a prophet, his wisdom, his understanding was amazing. And he walked in faith, he did miracles on a regular basis and finally before he died, he gave everything he have to the poor only to be murdered in cold blood because of his faith by someone who hated him. Now do you think that man would be in a kingdom?
You might say he'd be in a very high position in the age to come.
Nope. No, not at all. In fact, that man is going to light a fire, who is he? He is the man described in 1 Corinthians 13, though I speak with tongues of men and angels, but have not love. I have become sounding brass or a clanging cymbal and though I have the gift of prophecy and understand all the mysteries and all knowledge and though I have al faith so that I could mountains but I have not love. I am nothing. And though I bestow all my good to feed the poor and though I give my body to be burned but have not love, it profits me nothing. So in all of our efforts to use our gifts let this be a warning to us. That no matter how gifted you are, the context of those gifts and the motivating force in using them is love.
And the context of the use of those gifts must be as follows. Love suffers long and is kind. Love does not envy. Love does not parade itself. It's not puffed up, does not behave real leaders, does not seek its own does not provoke, thinks no evil, does not rejoice in inequity but rejoices in the truth, bares all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never fails whether they're prophecies, they will fail. Whether they are tongues, they will cease.
Whether as knowledge, it will vanish away. What good is it if you have not love?
Peter gives us some more exhortation he says, 1 Peter 4-8, and above all things has fervent love for one another for the love will cover multitude of sins. Be hospitable to one another without grumbling as each one has received a gift, minister it to one another. As good stories are the manifold grace of Elohim through fervent love, minister these gifts. But don't complain about it when you do, and what good does that do, you do something nice for somebody and all you do is complain about it. You were seeing that people do that, I mean, they're doing all these great, nice thing for somebody and then they come home and whine about it. What good is that? Just do it. Minster to one another as good stewards of the manifold grace, we have a certain stewardship that we're called. This grace we have, we have to be a steward of that grace by using our gifts.
If anyone speaks, let them speak as the oracles of Elohim. That verse convicts me that's why I do a lot of scripture quoting. If anyone ministers, let them do it with the ability with which Elohim supplies that in all things Elohim maybe glorified through Yahushua Messiah. The goal is that Elohim maybe glorified. Get that? That Elohim maybe glorified. That's the purpose of our gift. Through Yahushua Messiah to whom belong the glory and dominion forever and ever. The gifts that you have are for his glory not for the glory of man.
And so here are gifts and we added apostleship to that. And like, you know, faith is interesting. The faith will actually be a gift, we got some people just have that unusual amount of faith they just
move mountains. That's a gift. Now, this is not a complete list in the Torah, Yahweh talks about a person having wisdom to do artistic work. And you conclude music in artistic work, certain musicians were in the temple area, they had skills and the instruments and music so I'm not acting like this is the complete list but to illustrate how these gifts can be used and could be a compliment to the body of Messiah. Take a moment here. Suppose someone becomes a believer in Messiah and then overtime, Yahweh sends them say, to some
foreign country to do some missionary work. That's a gift of apostleship, one who is sent. And there he plants a congregation.
Before he goes, someone with the gift of prophecy tells him and believes Yahweh is calling him to this missionary work in the foreign land to plant a congregation there and he praise about it and he sees a clear leading in that direction and someone with the gift of exhortation says some words of admonition, encouragement. This word exhortation means to call to one side. Someone could be an error on something, you call him to your side and you say, hey brother, we are side by side believers overcoming to do with myself but here's something I'm seeing that I think could really help you if you look at this way. Gift of Exhortation is beautiful. I love it. So--or exhortation in a sense that lucky or some things that had you need to be thinking about. Okay. And here they are. So what's more to admonition, what to expect? Another with the gift of administrations and governing sets up and plans the whole thing as far as the practical needs that are having to be done. And so they decide they're going to bring somebody that has the gift of teaching even though one who is the apostle also has that gift. Another person with the gift of helps could be a companion as well, right? And there's always that need gift of help is huge. I know I've benefited greatly from that in my walk so I could see that being a good thing. And another person has the gift of giving and decides he's going to help finance the whole thing were needed. And so a person goes to the foreign land and begins to share with the crowds about the Messiah
and he notices that someone's in need of healing and he just feels led to stand up and exercise the gift of faith that he has and the gift of healing that he has and he works a miracle so that Yahweh's name is glorified and then another person who has a gift of tongue which is how I think it should be used the most, doesn't even know the language of that country and begins to administer to them in their own language. I love to see that. That's the gift of tongue. So and someone with the interpretation explains to the apostle what was said and so this gets all the attention of the people and some people come to salvation and as you're teaching the people, there are certain people who becomes disciples and certain gifts start to manifest themselves among this group. One person will have the gift of leading and clearly leadership gift and faith and teaching and so he and others begin to become more independent in their congregation as leaders but then persecution arise to the missionary and begins to get discouraged but then somebody in the congregation with the gift of mercy comes along and says, hey, I know things are tough.
And person with the gift of ministry begins to minister to him and encourage him and bless him and serve and refresh him with encouragement and love. So he recovers and he decides to go to another province and plant the congregation there and people with a word wisdom and knowledge encourage him in this area and show some things he might expect. And someone with the prophetic gift encourages him to continue. Then another person who has the discerning of spirits says, you know, he's been to that area before, it's a demonic stronghold. He knows it is. He can sense that and so warns that there may be trouble in that area but the Yahushua and his word will prevail. That's beautiful. That's the way it got to be.
That's just one example. We all as believers have gifts in the body messiah that can be used to serve and bless one another and not only one another but people outside the body of messiah, people with the gift of mercy might be compelled to reach out to the homeless, to the fatherless, to the suffering, to be a big brother and a big sister to a fatherless child. But the goal is to bring people into a body of believers where they can really be served and a congregation could have it outreached to nursing homes, the hospitals, to prisons, to create a soup kitchen or develop an online outreach, whatever Yahweh leads, however he leads. And individuals in each area may have sub-ministries. They're doing on their own.
Abortion clinics, reaching out to the young mothers there. You know, a lot of this is best accomplished in the local and congregational setting but I really think a lot of our little fellowship groups becomes self-serving a common here, the Torah, you know, look at each other and enjoy fellowship and go home and there's no outreach. And I think that's why sometimes a lot of in fighting takes place, you know. We have to reach out and as age of electronic and phone communication, we can use our gifts and reach beyond our local group like this missionary did or this ministry you're listening to right now. Yahweh's given me the gift to teaching and there's glory and honor to him for that not me. I didn't want there. I saw that scripture said their teachers get the stricter judgement, I said that's not me. I don't want anything more than I can--I need all of mercy I'm going to get. I don't want to be a teacher but it's like a fire in the bones, you can't stop yourself. Yahweh gives you a gift, you have to use this so here I am in the middle of the woods, my nearest neighbor's a half mile way. I live in a country--in a county here, I'm sorry. There's only one town in whole county, one town, one traffic light in the whole town and whole county has one traffic light. That's it. And there--yet there are hundreds of families who were able to be ministered to in various ways every week and through the website. There are people who are involved with this ministry who are doing that as well and even the Feast of Tabernacles every year, I see gifts in action both in planning and coordinating. When we arrive, it's like a dance, it's like a symphony. Different people know where they best able to serve and they do it and that's beautiful. Those who are poor and getting their needs met, different gifts sow themselves. I just love it. It's glorious. It's the body. It's Messiah. That's what's beautiful about it. And so let's use those gifts brothers and sisters, every one of you have one or two or three or four or five or ten, who knows. So how do you know what's your spiritual gifts are? How do you find your calling? What ministry is Yahweh calling you to? How has he wanting his love to manifest and flow through you to another person? One of the things I typically pray for after someone's baptize as I lay hands on them is that Yahweh will reveal to them their gifts and their callings. That's so important. And the way we find our spiritual gifts is through prayer. Yahweh opened up a door at ministry, show me where to go and if you think it might be he is leading somewhere, take that step forward and serve others and some capacity that motivates you.
You feel led to do. Let Yahweh's spirit confirm that and as sometimes who only shine the light one, you know, we have lamps. We don't have flashlights. We have lamps, the word's a lamp, right? And the lamp only gives you a few steps ahead,that's it. And sometimes only step ahead. You know, we want the flashlight. We want to see the whole thing but sometimes it's only just one step and you take that one step and as you move, more light illuminates more ground and you see where you supposed to go next and eventually he starts to give you a vision where you see the whole thing of what he is wanting to do and to accomplish. If you see areas in the body of messiah that other people seem to overlook, as a source of frustration to you, listen, don't get frustrated. That maybe the signal Yahweh is calling you to do that, to work on that particular area. Yeah, it's so easy to sit back and just be on the couch and criticize. But then what are you doing about it? Rather than criticizing the way things are, why not go to puff your hind and in love go do something about it. Not in bitterness. Be careful about that some people are motivated by bitterness and entire ministry is--are build and out of balance, great judgment on condemning about this side of the other and, you know some people just want to get back of the Christians who hurt them, you know. So, ministry isn't an effort to publicly shame and humiliate Christians in the compliance. If your motivation is hatred, that's not from Yahweh's spirit. Let your motivation be love and then out of love, we want to reach one another and bring more of messiah into that particular area where he is not and so you need inspiration born out of
Yahweh's leading in your life.
What do believers do or that disappoint you? What does this world do that disappoints you?
It's not to end all test. What is being help you get thinking and praying about what gifts Yahweh has given you? What strengths do you have? If you're concerned about the way the body of messiah compromises with the world commits sin, ask Yahweh for the gift of prophecy to manifest his self. The lack of a fully sound doctrine concerns you, you have a gift of teaching perhaps. If you're bothered with the lack of true, act of serving in the body of messiah, your gift might be ministry and serving. If you're concerned about believers not growing to full maturity, could be the gift of exhortation. If you're concerned about the overall direction, the body messiah not having any real goals, no leadership and yet you have leadership skills, the gift of leading and organizing, get up and do something. That's a gift, it's one of the gifts, administrations. If what concerns is the lack of understanding and mercy, you may have the gift of mercy. See people not giving like the scriptures instruct financially you may be the first one to offer a financial gift when it's needed, you have the gift of giving. Lots of different ways. Now, some of you may have portions of these or even all or whatever but Yahushua, he possesses the fullness of every single one of these gifts, every single one. So, yeah, we may have more concentrated thing in one area and different parts of the body performing different functions. And some will have more gifts than others, some will have 10 talents, some 5, 12, there's just 1. Yahweh may add more gift as existing gifts are used. Yahushua had them all but we're just a part of the body of messiah don't look down on others. If they're not exercising your gift or your calling. Pauses I wish and to all wimp all memory even as myself. Each one has its own gift from Elohim, one in this manner and one other than that. He's actually talking about being able to be celibate and unmarried there, that's a gift. Some people just have that. No desire from here with whatsoever. And we see Yahweh used him in great capacity to minister.
So it's important to recognize that our differences don't have free points to division or points of condemnation. You're not doing this over year, well that's not what he's called to. Yahushua's in the heavens right now and he wants to live out his glorified life through us. And none of us are the whole manner of Yahushua and all his glory. Probably because we can't be only present ourselves but we are each a part of him scattered across the earth. And I'll you what, if you're walking in depression, I know an elder. His wife died. He was depressed. He couldn't seem to pull out. It was until he started ministering. He went to a conference and brothers say, hey, can you give us a teaching on this or that and all of the sudden the light turned on, he woke and he was completely pulled out of depression because he began to serve other people. He saw the needs of people began to serve them, you know I tell you what, when you're doing something worthwhile, you don't feel so worthless. That's just how it is. If you don't--if you feel worthless, you might not be doing anything really worthwhile by sitting around like this man was, he wake up, he looked at the walls, he think, you know, he had all kind of fears and he was a doubter. I respected him and he was just struggling. We come over and try to minister to him and nothing would help. No talking to, no music, no singing, nothing. It wasn't until he begin serving, he pulled out depression. And take a step. You don't have to be perfect to be effective. Yahushua denied Pete--or Peter denied Yahushua three times and still used him. Certainly he can use us. He's not looking for perfect people. He died for imperfect people who are in the process of sanctification, who are in the process of discipleship. What he's looking for people--what he's looking for is not perfect people but people who are willing to be used by him. Alone, we're just a body part sitting by itself. Together, we can function more effectively. I'm not talking about building an organization (another one) or a big denomination or whatever. I'm talking about everyone being contributors to the organism that is the body of Messiah. We are a holy priesthood on the earth called to be Yahweh's voice, Yahweh's messenger, the light of the world that can't be hidden. Don't stop--don't hide the light under a bowl. Get it out, put it on a lamp stand. You don't have to have a college degree. The only degree we need is a high degree of heat on your thermometer. We can't be lukewarm anymore. We need to put a stop to the American dream mentality. Step away from the American playground and into the spiritual battleground to take dominion for Yahweh, put down the toys, pick up the armor of Yahweh and fight the good fight. I want to tell you about a ministry that is created
specifically to help you identify what your spiritual gifts are and to give you a avenue through which others can learn about those callings, those ministries that you have, a centralized place where people can learn, "Okay, this person needs to know whatever. This person's knowledgeable about homeschooling, they can help somebody else who's just getting started at homeschooling." There's just all kinds of different things. This person has a ministry on abortions or this person is a prison ministry or this person has whatever it is. We can all have a central place where we could learn about each other's ministries and be served. So--but--and also is there, we do interview. If I'm there, I try to be there. if I'm not, I can't but I try to have a voice here. But you get interviewed, a little phone conversation, phone conference and we can talk to you and learn about you and help you identify what your spiritual gifts are. And the website is serveyhwh.org. Brother Richard, the one that opened this up today in prayer is leading that ministry and it's a fantastic way of learning what your gifts and your callings are and I encourage you to participate.
Remember what I said because I don't say this every week, the parable of the talents, the parable of the sheep and the goats, it can literally be a salvational thing whether you're truly walking in the very basic elements of love, loving your neighbor as yourself or you're not. It's serious. And so just as in 1 Corinthians 12 where Paul talks about the gifts, connects that with love, Peter talks about love and connects that with the gifts. In Romans 12, Paul goes on and talks about let love be without hypocrisy. Abhor what is evil. Cling to what is good. Be kindly affectionate to one another with brotherly love and honoring--in honor--giving preference to one another. Not lagging in diligence, fervent in spirit, serving the master. So in the use of our gifts, we need to be diligent. Not lazy, be diligent. Not lagging in diligence. Be fervent in spirit, serving our master Yahushua. With kind affection, with brotherly love prefer one another, abhor what's evil, cling to what's good and do not be a hypocrite. These are our admonitions. Rejoicing in hope, patient when we receive tribulation because we're all going to get tribulation and so you continue steadfastly in prayer. Hold one moment please. Distributing to the needs of the saints.
Given the hospitality, open up your house to strangers. Bless those that persecute you. Bless and do not curse. You're going to get persecuted. You're going to be hated. Some people, they go into ministry, they get a little opposition, they get upset, they get bitter, they walk away and say, "I'm not going to do that anymore." Wait a minute.
I thought that was a part of the program we signed up for? I thought that's what we signed up for was persecutions and tribulations and trials and I signed up for Yahweh's dream, not the American dream, sorry. Patience and tribulation goes with the territory. You'll be slandered, you'll be hated, it goes with the territory. I get slandered all the time. It goes with the territory, accept it. Truth is, what they think of you isn't going to matter in the end anyway. Rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep. That's what it means to be connected to the body. You see somebody weeping and rejoicing. Rejoice with them, weep with them, we're all connected. Be of the same mind toward one another. Do not set your mind on high things but associate with the humble. This is important. What I've learned the--to look for humble men.
I found those who are manifesting a lot of pride cause nothing but trouble. I look for humble men to associate with. Do not be wise in your own opinion. We got nothing compare to Yahweh's infinite wisdom. Repay no one evil for evil. When they do evil to you, don't give it back to them. Have regard for good things in the sight of all men. If it is possible, sometimes it isn't, as much as depends on you, live peaceably with all men even those who are against you. When men's ways please Yahweh, the proverb said even Yahweh makes even his enemies to be at peace with another. They're enemies but they're not bothering them anymore. Beloved, do not avenge yourselves but rather give place to wrath for it's written vengeance is mine I will repay, says Yahweh.
Fantastic admonitions here. I love these. Therefore if your enemy is hungry, feed him. If he is thirsty, give him a drink for in so doing you will heap coals of fire on his head. Do not be overcome by evil but overcome evil with good. That's the key because goodwill triumph over evil. It will. These are the attributes of the Messiah. These are the words of wisdom and knowledge that we need to keep in mind as we minister to people. These are the characteristics of the Messiah. There will be people who will mistreat you. You cannot be discouraged. You can overcome their evil with Yahweh's goodness. That's the way of the Messiah. Paul quotes from proverbs saying he coals a fire on their head. Feed them, give them something to drink. That's quoting from proverbs. That's--loving your enemy is actually something they are practicing when King Solomon was reigning in Jerusalem. That's not a New Testament idea. It's not a new thing whatsoever.
Loving your enemy is a normal way of how Yahweh himself has treated us who are his enemy, he loved us anyway. The choice is not whether we're going to love him back and whether we're going to manifest his image to those people who are around us and love those who are unloving. Because when you start working in the trenches and ministering to people, I don't care if you're a believer or non-believer, you're going to get it. You're going to get--they're going to try to slap you down. The enemy can be using a believer or an un-believer to do so but you cannot get discouraged because listen, how they act, you cannot associate that with the Messiah. Messiah didn't act that way. You can't associate him with what other people do. It's two different things. They can claim to be a believer and act totally rotten but don't associate our fate with that. Associate that with someone who happens to be struggling with anger and bareness or whatever they're doing to you. They're have been times when people just downright hated my guts and I have tried to figure out why. I didn't understand it. What do you hate about me? I--so I just showed love to them. And I didn't--other people, I didn't know hate me and I just showed loved to them and they came to me in tears and confessed that they had problems
with me and they were sorry. They thought these things about me because of what other people had said and they came to me and said, "I'm sorry I thought these things about you. I even spoke against you." Yeah, I didn't know. I had no idea. I thought they were my brother and I always treat them--but they weren't acting like a brother to me and that alright. Yahweh--listen, we all need grace. I need it. I need it every single day in my life. So when you minister, a position and struggle and challenge and difficulty and the groaning that we get every day against the things going on in the world today, that's all part of it. Like it or not, that's what you signed up for when you start ministering to people. But that cause--a lot of people just, "I'm checking out of here. I'm going to do--back to my American dream, build my own little farm on my property here and get me a flock of sheep going or go--get higher up in my corporate American and make a buck and have my 2.4 children and my car in the garage in my suburban neighborhood and here we are." And die, having no
spiritual retirement program to speak of.
So that's my admonition in this area of Romans chapter 12. Please don't forget it. I don't talk about it every week but it's that important. Let's move on to Romans chapter 13. It says let every soul be subject to the governing authorities for there is no authority except from Elohim and the authorities that exist are appointed by Elohim. Therefore whoever resist the authority resist the ordinance of Elohim and those who resist will bring judgment on themselves. For rulers are not a terror to good works but to evil. Do you want to be unafraid of authority--the authority? Do what is good and you will have praise from the same. Now where did Paul get the idea authorities that exist are appointed by Elohim? Daniel 2:20 says Daniel answered and said, "Blessed be the name of Elohim forever and ever for wisdom and might are his. And he changes the times and the seasons. He removes kings and raises up kings. He gives wisdom to the wise and knowledge to those who have understanding." Psalm 75:6 says, "For exultation comes neither from the east nor from the west nor from the south but Elohim is judge. He puts down one and exalts another. So not a fresh idea here in the book of Romans 13.Pslam 113:7 says, "He raises the poor out of the dust and lifts up--lifts the needy out of the ash. He--that he may seatt him with the princess--with princess of his people." And Pilate when he's talking to Yahushua, he said, "Are you not speaking to me? Do you not know I have the power to crucify you and the power to release you?" Yahushua answered, "You could have no power at all against me unless it had been given to you from above. Therefore the one who delivered me to you is the greater sin. So this has been long established and so we
should be subject to the governing authorities in the land in which we happen to live. Now the question might be reign, why would he say rulers are not a terror to good works but to evil? I mean, Paul experienced with rulers in various cities and even Judaism was--sometimes they terrorized him. So why is he saying this? I mean, certainly Paul himself was doing a great work but he got some opposition. We have another example here in 1 Peter 2:11-13.
Beloved, I beg you as sojourners and pilgrims, abstain from fleshly lusts which war against the soul, having your conduct honorable among the Gentiles that when they speak against you," didn't say if, "when they speak against you as evil doers, they may by your good works which they observe, a glorify Elohim in the day of visitation." Therefore submit yourselves to every ordinance of men for the master's sake whether to king of supreme or to governors as to those who were sent by him for the punishment of evildoers. That's why--that's their calling. And for the praise of those who do good, that is the office they are called to be in. The office of a ruler is to be a punishment--a punishing force of evil doers and to praise the ones who do good. That is their office. They don't always fulfill that office properly. But that's the office of a ruler and that's what I think he's talking about when he says rulers are not a terror to good works. Their office that they hold is to punish evildoers and offer praise to those who do good. This is the will of Elohim that by doing good, you may put the silence to ignorance of foolish men because there foolish men who are in office. As free yet not using liberty as a cloak for vise but as bond servants of Elohim. Honor all, love the brotherhood, fear Elohim, honor the king. So that's our admonition in how we should relate to human governance. Both Peter and Paul admonish us to do what Yahushua did. He subjected himself the ordinances of men so that there would not be a stumbling block before their path but that doesn't mean every king of the earth is perfectly righteous in their office of rulership. Says, "It's an abomination for kings to commit wickedness for a throne is established by righteousness," Proverb 16:12. But we should submit ourselves to every
ordinance of men for the master's sake, even those ordinances we think are unnecessary. Yahushua's own example in Matthew 17:24 is when they come to Capernaum, those who receive a temple tax came to Peter and said, "Has your teacher not paid the temple tax?" he said, "Yes." And when he come to the house, Yahushua anticipated him saying, "What do you think Simon? From whom to the kings of the earth take customs or taxes from their sons or from strangers?" Peter says, "From strangers." Yahushua said to him, "Then the sons are free while the father--here's the son right here, he's free. Nevertheless, less we offend them, cause them to stumble, go to the sea, cast and a hook, and take the fish that comes first. When he've open his mouth, you will find a piece of money. Take that and give it to them for me and you." So submit yourselves to the ordinance of men for the master's sake.
And some of the ordinances may make no sense to you whatsoever but heed them.
Just--now the ordinances that are contrary to Yahweh's ordinances, do you still submit to those? I mean, we're submit ourselves to every ordinance of men, every ordinance of men for the master's sake. How do you resolve this? How do you resolve it when a husband we know who's in
a position of leadership in the family, he gives an ordinance, he gives a command, he gives something he wants his family to do and it's wrong. It's unscriptural. It's a sin to do it. What do you do? Do you listen to it? Do you obey it? the scripture says the wives submit to your husbands. What do you do? Well Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego were willing to be burned alive rather than commit adultery, right? Daniel who was otherwise very respectful, very submissive would not eat the unclean food set before him or food offered to idles but Yahweh delivered probably because he was so respectful about it. And the same is true with a husband and wife relationship. Wives are told to submit themselves to their husbands but the husband asks the wife to do something contrary to the word of Elohim, they should be very respectful and very--be very reverent, make a prayerful appeal to the husband. But it comes down to the last minute, the very last minute and she is confronted with a decision and Yahweh has not delivered her from that--having to do that thing, she would have to respectfully, with humility and meekness, decline to do the thing that Yahweh forbids.
But no authority exists without Yahweh appointing that authority. Yahweh places kings and governors in positions of authority. He places the husband in a position of headship in the family so he has a position of authority. And with authority--why is there authority there? What's it there for, just for a man to sit back fire off orders? No. It's there because he has a responsibility.
And so you can't have responsibility without authority. The kings are responsible for leading a nation so they have to have authority. The husband's responsible for leading a family, he has to have the authority. Now if the wife chooses not to obey that authority, he has no biblical grounds to punish her but he has biblical grounds to give her to Yahweh for discipline. Only children do we discipline. But we must submit ourselves, men, to every
ordinance of men for the master's sake. You look and you--I think it applies to us because you're driving down the road 80 miles an hour in a 55 zone, I mean show your wife what it means to submit yourself to the men's ordinances. Go 55 miles an hour, stop at the stop signs for the master's sake. Sometimes I don't want to stop at a stop sign. I want to make a rolling stop and I'll say, "Okay, for the master's sake. I'll do it. I'll even say it at my head, "For the master's sake I'll stop, a complete stop. Okay, now I can go." Because they do pull you over for rolling stops. Respect the laws of the land. Set the example in your household men. If you set the example of being a rebellious men toward human authority, don't be surprised if your wife and children follow the same thing. You set the example. Okay. Now wives, you don't have the right to nudge your husband too hard, just pray for him.
Get convicted. So men--something about men, we don't like being pulled around by the nose. We like respectful appeals.
It's because there is something built in us to lead. And if there's a threat to that leadership then there's problem. Now so if you're pulled over by the police, you got this bible bumper sticker in your car, how glorious is that? It's not glorious. So you hear what I'm saying? Sometimes I make a rolling stop and I shouldn't. Sometimes I bleed [ph] over the speed limit a little bit and I shouldn't. Submit yourself to every--that's the commandment in the bible. It's a sin to not submit myself to every ordinance of men for the master's sake. So he is Elohim's ministry for good. But if you do evil, be afraid for he does not bear the sword in vain for he Elohim's minister, an avenger to execute wrath on him who practices evil. Therefore he must be subject not only because of wrath but also for conscience's sake. For because of this, he also pay taxes for they're Elohim's ministers who--attending continually to this very thing. Render therefore to all they're due, taxes to whom taxes are due, customs to whom customs, fear to whom fear, honor to whom honor.
I know there are people out there that say, "Oh, you don't have to pay income tax. Constitution outlaws the income tax or the law's actual as it's written tell us we don't have to pay taxes." And for some reason, the judges don't agree with him and their interpretation. And their interpretation actually--the one you got may actually be the right one but guess what the judges decide how their interpret their own laws so they don't agree. You're sitting in prison. The judges at land decide how their laws will be interpreted, not you. Show some respect. Pay your taxes, be that one that don't have to fight that. I mean, some people say, "Well my tax money is funding abortions and I don't feel right about that." And I imagine tax money in Rome was probably going for a whole lot of worst things. Your tax money, it goes in to feed the poor too and food stamps and SSI and caring for the downtrodden, the injured, the fatherless, the widow. It's not all bad. I mean, it's not like they're physically taking your dollar bill and saying, "Here abortion clinic, use this." It goes into one big pile of numbers on a computer screen and gets lost and just look at it like your money is going to care for the elderly, the fatherless and the poor and the widow and move on because some of the government money is spend in that. So how should we relate to our present situation? I see ourselves as a--as Israel. Our homeland is overseas in the land and we're in exile. And how did Yahweh expect Judah to respond when they were in exile? We have a precedence. Thus says Yahweh of hosts--Jeremiah 29:4, thus
says Yahweh of hosts, the mighty one of Israel to all who were carried away captive whom I have caused to be carried away from Jerusalem to Babylon, build houses and dwell in them. Plant gardens and eat their fruit. Take wives and beget sons and daughters and take wives for your sons and give your daughters to husband so that they may bear sons and daughters that you may be increased there and not diminished and seek the peace of the city where I have caused you to be carried away captive and pray to Yahweh for it. For in its peace, you will have peace.
And the principle here has ongoing support as Paul wrote Timothy--1 Timothy 2:1-4, therefore I exhort first of all that supplications, prayers, intercessions and giving of things be made for all men. For kings and all who are in authority that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all righteousness and reverence for this is good and acceptable in the sight of Elohim our savior who desires all men to be saved, to come to the knowledge of the truth. So we make prayers and supplications, intercessions and even Thanksgiving be made for kings, for those in authority so that we may live this quiet and peaceable life that he calls us to live.
So prayer is the answer. When you see our president doing wrong things, no amount of slander has ever changed the way things are going in government today. Since our current president has been inaugurated into office, how much of your slander against him has resulted in anything changing for good? Not one bit. It's your prayers. It's your prayers that's going to bring--because Yahweh directs the hearts of kings and those in authority. It's your prayers. That's what s going to change things.
Titus 1--or Titus 3:1-3, remind them to be subject to rulers and authorities to obey, to be ready for every good work, to speak evil of no one, to be peaceable, gentle, showing all humility to all men. Speak evil of no one. For we ourselves, we're also once foolish, disobedient, deceived, serving various lust and pleasures, living in malice and envy, hateful and hating one another. You were once stranger in Egypt. You were once a slave in Egypt yourself. But when the kindness and love of Elohim our savior
toward men appeared not by works of righteousness which we have done but according to his mercy, he saved us through the washing and regeneration and renewing of the Holy Spirit and he poured out on us abundantly through Yahushua, Messiah, our savior that having been justified by his grace, we should become heirs according to the hope of eternal life. So we got that gift and they don't have it yet and we need to pray for them. Don't have them, don't slander them. We were there once. If Yahweh hadn't saved us by his grace and justified us by his grace, we're probably right there with them doing the same things.
So you know what to do, right? You know what to do. Brothers, sisters, let's do it. Let's do it. Owe no one anything, Romans 13:8, except to love one another for he who loves another has fulfilled law. Owe no one anything, interesting words. Kind of has a little bearing on our debt driven society, our credit card driven society. You might suggest verse 8 here could be used to tell us that we shouldn't go into debt, might be a pretty good case for it. I bought my current home in 2002, I still owe some on it. But I sold it, I would not be in debt anymore. So am I really in debt? I mean, I have my house as an asset to offset the debt I'm in. So I'm not sure how to look at that exactly but scripture does say, "The rich rules over the poor," Proverbs 22:7,"and the burrower is a slave," the word slave in Hebrew, "to the lender, servant to the lender." And 1 Corinthians 7:23 says, "You were bought at a price. Do not become slaves of men." So you might look at the two scriptures as say, "Wait a minute, maybe those debt thing isn't a good idea." I think I have to agree. And so I think it's pretty good case here that we should not be in debt. If somebody's poor and have not other recourse but to borrow money, I don't believe it would be wrong to borrow but it would be wrong for someone to charge them interest. Proverbs 28:8, one who increases his possessions by usury and extortion gathers it for him who will pity the poor. You're not supposed to charge interest and usury to those who are poor, take advantage of the poor. The real sinner is the banking system, those interest rates, raking in the cash. I mean, I read where the big three banks profited $5.1 billion in overdraft fees alone last year.
They continued taking advantage of the poor and it's a corrupt, evil system that Yahweh hates.
So owe no one anything except to love one another for he who loves another has fulfilled the law for the commandments. You shall not commit adultery, you shall not murder, you shall not steal, you shall not bear false witness, you shall not covet. And if there's any other commitment, all are summed up in this saying namely you shall love your neighbor as yourself. Love does no harm to a neighbor therefore love is the fulfillment of the law. So these are commandments dealing with loving your neighbor, how could love--what about loving Yahweh, is that missing here somewhere?
Nope. By this we know that we love the children of Elohim when we love Elohim and keep his commandments.
And we also love Elohim by loving those who are our neighbor, reaching out and being a sheep and not a goat. So you can't live and love your neighbor until you love Yahweh first and that's the first and great command.
Romans 13:11, and do this knowing the time that now it is high time to awake out of sleep. Wake up brothers. Get off your easy chair, pick up the armor of Yahweh for now our salvation is near than we first believed. The night is far spent, the day is at hand therefore let's cast off the works of darkness and let us put on the armor of light. Let us walk properly as in the day not in revelry, in drunkenness. Put down the beer cans, brothers, we don't need that stuff. Not in lewdness, not in lust, not in strife, and not in envy. These are things that are of the world, not of the
spirit of Yahweh. Put away those things, walk properly.
Put on the master Yahushua. You ever wonder, is this right? Ask yourself, would Yahushua do this?
That cuts right to the bone, right to the bone. And would Yahushua do this? Is this what he would be doing right now? Ask yourself that question. If you ever wonder whether it's right or wrong, ask that question. I'm putting on the master Yahushua to do this right here. I'm putting him on, he'll do this right here. Will he be doing that? Just as longer you who lives, Messiah lives in you. The life what you now life, you live by faith in the son of Elohim who loves him--loved you and gave himself for you. So put on the master Yahushua and make no provision at all for the flesh to fulfill its lust. Don't even give it a centimeter. Because if you give the devil just enough to crack open the door, he can stick his foot in there and then he can bust it wide open. But if you just keep the door shut, keep the door shut, don't let him in. Don't entertain him, don't even open the door to look at him. Hear him knocking? Ignore it. Say in the name of Yahushua, that's not me. I reject that in Yahushua's name. I want no part of that. That's not me. I have put on the master Yahushua. I don't want to make an provision for the flesh. If your spouse wants to argue and fight and get into a big shouting match over something, say, "I'm sorry, I'm walking away." The beginning of strife is like one that let's out water and I'm not going to engage in that. I don't want to be in the flesh. We could talk about it later but I don't want to argue about it. I don't want to strife. I don't want to be engaged in debate and arguing and anger and all those ugly things that are mentioned in Galatians 5 which if we practice, we will not enter the kingdom. I don't want to go there.
Let's walk in the spirit and we won't fulfill the lust of the flesh, love, joy, peace, kindness, goodness. I tell you what, one thing I've learned is the more involved you are in ministry, the more outward focus you are, less you're looking at the faults of the one next to you. You're just so focused on blessing and serving somebody else, you don't sit and argue about stuff so much. Even democrats and republicans were singing, "God, bless America," when 9/11 happened and all that. They're all singing together and I'm like, "These guys are enemies in the same room and they're all singing together in one unity, one accord.
This lesson entered my head. Wait a minute, if we really realize that we are all fighting a common enemy in the body of Messiah, there wouldn't be so much in-fighting.
So that's our admonitions in Romans 12 and in Romans 13. And brothers and sisters, a lot of good stuff here in the book of Romans. We see the way things have trended so far from the very beginning. We're talking about Jews and Gentiles being called in repentance and faith in Messiah and then how we become the body of the Messiah and what that means. And we're not enslaved to sin anymore and that we are called. We have a calling on our life, a vision in our--Yahweh has for us to walk out and that calling is followed up by the gifts of the spirit being used in ministry. And that ministry must be spiritual in nature and not carnal in nature. We have to be respectful toward those who are in authority as we proclaim this awesome and amazing kingdom of Yahweh that's not of this world. If it was of this world, we'd fight. But we don't fight. We submit ourselves to every ordinance of men for the master's sake. Vengeance is Yahweh's, he will repay. So let's walk in purity and love and let's pray.
Father Yahweh, in the name of Yahushua Hamashiach, I pray father Yahweh that this message will be a springboard that would cause people to move forward in ministry, in their calling, in their gift to live the unselfish life, to live the
crucified life, to live the life that you--your son Yahushua lived. Oh Yahweh, cause your people to come together in unity against the common enemy. We know that we wrestle not against flesh and blood but against principalities and powers and things in high places that seek to destroy and kill and steal. But you father in a higher place, you are the most high and we want to take ground away from the enemy
as your people. And father, any areas you want me to lead in this, I pray you to show me what to do. I want to see your people come together and serve
and bless and build up each other and take dominion and subdue the earth as a new creation in the Messiah Yahushua. Help us to be overcomers, make no provision for the flesh and put on your armor of light. And having done all, we may be able to stand in that last day. Bring our own bodies into subjection and discipline ourselves in service and in love.
We want to be a reflection of your image and you are serving us every single day. And for that we praise you. For truly yours is the kingdom and powering glory forever and ever. Father forgive us where we have been goat-like. Forgive us and empower us to be as Yahushua's sheep and establish your kingdom on this earth. We long for it. We grown for it. We look for it. Help us to establish it in our hearts now and spread it to the hearts of all men. Let them see when they see the body of Messiah, a people who love each other, who serve each other, who bless each other. Let the aroma of Messiah be always present within us. Let your kingdom be manifest in Yahushua's
great name and only through him do we live, only through him are we anything at all, we praise you in Yahushua's name, amen.
got the sense he is overwhelmed here and he says, Oh, the depth of the riches about the wisdom and knowledge of Elohim. How many times have I said that myself just standing in "awe" of Yahweh's word and his wisdom. How unsearchable are his judgments and his ways past finding out. For who has known the mind of Yahweh or who has become his counselor? Or who has first given to him and shall be repaid to him for, of him and through and to him are all things. To whom be glory forever. Amen. So Yahweh's wisdom scripture says is unsearchable and his ways past finding out.
Why do we then try to seek it? Because it's a fountain of awesomeness, that's why. So we can learn more about him and what he's about, that's why. And we see scripture says in Psalm 147 verse 4 says, he counts the number of starts. He calls them all by name. Do you realize how many stars there are in the universe? There are more stars in the universe than there are grains of sand on all the world's beaches combined. That's a scientific fact. Great is our master he calls him all by name. He knows all their names. Great is our master and mighty and power, his understanding, his infinite. Infinite, that means there's never a point where he would say, "Okay, now I've touched you all I know." There's no end to what he knows. Meditate on that for a minute. The reason why his ways are unsearchable it's because his wisdom and knowledge doesn't have any end to it. Literally no point where he could teach you all he knows. There's no end to what he knows. That's how awesomely amazing he is. So Yahweh lifts up the humble and he cast the wicked down to the ground. He doesn't like it when people boast in their knowledge or wisdom because really it's nothing. It's really nothing compared to his.
So Romans 12, I beseech you therefore, brethren.
Now whenever you see the word therefore, ask yourself why is it therefore? What is thetherefore? The word therefore in the Greek literally means "because of this" or "because of what I just said." I beseech you because of what I just said, brethren, by the mercies of Elohim that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to Elohim, which is your reasonable service and do not be conformed to this world but be transformed by the renewing of your mind that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of Elohim. So because Yahweh's mercy is--his knowledge is infinite, he not only knows everything there is to know, he also knows and sees every single one of your blind spots.
Way of god and I'm not talking about the blind spot in your eye. I'm talking about the blind spot in the area of you don't even realize you're doing something wrong, something very offensive to him and you're doing it. You don't even realize the pride in your own heart and he sees it and you're oblivious to it.
And so we have to be transformed by the renewing of our minds as we seek after and pursue
the wisdom of Yahweh so that our bodies are in
instruments of righteousness rather than death. So that our bodies are a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to Elohim which is your reasonable service, only know that the law is holy and just and good. And so the law tells us, the Torah, tells us what is the right way to live and so the weak can heed his word and we can have this renewed minds. Your minds have already been trained enough and a cursed practices and sin. And now we want to retrain our minds so that we're able to be transformed into holiness. And there are things going on in our heart we don't even know are there. The scripture says the heart is deceitful above all things, Jeremiah 17 verse 9 and 10, and desperately wicked, who can know it? I, Yahweh, search the heart. I test the mind even to give every man according to his ways, according to the fruit of his doings. So he, who knows everything, searches and tests the mind and the heart. So we need to have that renewed mind and subjected to that testing so that we might hear from him what we need to change in order to be more of a reflection of his image, which is what he created us to be. And so Yahweh knows all the good, bad and ugly and glorious about us. He knows it all already. So we might as well just say, "Okay, you know, please show me. Reveal my own heart to me."
And so we are encouraged to present our bodies which a part from Messiah or just a bag of--or dirt bags, you know, literally dirt bags. And remain from the dust of the earth and so we need to have our dirt bag transform into something Yahweh can use. And that is when we become a part of the body of Messiah that we become transformed to something that Yahweh can use. And so our bodies are supposed to be a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to Elohim which is reasonable service. And so we present our members now as instruments of righteousness and we need to let Yahweh's word transform us by the renewing of our minds, no longer we conforming ourselves to this world.
This world in his ways, we have rejected. The word and Yahweh's ways we have accepted. 1 John 2:15 says, do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the father is not in him. For all that is the world, the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes and the pride of life is not of the father but is of the world. And the world is passing away and the lust of it. But he who does the will of Elohim, abides forever. Beautiful words here.
So what are we going to do? Are we going to enjoy and love the things that the world does? Are we going to say, no I reject those things? We cannot love Yahweh and love the world at the same time. The two are incompatible, you can't have both.
Otherwise, we become adulterous and adulteresses, James 44. Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with Elohim? Whoever therefore wants to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of Elohim.
There are two things completely opposed to one another and yet, I do see a lot of worldliness among
believers today. And people who have embrace with the world selling, the focus on the external, the focus on the flesh and how we look, the pride for countenances. Believers post it themselves on Facebook trying to look like a tough guy. I thought we're supposed to look like a nice guy. I though we're supposed to look like a friendly person, someone that you can engage and someone who will love you and care about you. And instead of the eyes that allure and the duck
lips and the whole spirit of the world but we've not received the spirit of the world.
Not the spirit of the world have we received it but the spirit who's from Elohim. That's what we've received, that we might know the things that have been freely given to us by Elohim. You can't even know truth as it's intended to be because truth is more than a side of keeping and whatnot, it's more than that. It's love, walking in love. And so we talked about conformity.
Can't be conformed with the world, you have to be transformed by the renewing of your mind that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of Elohim. And what he is saying here is really what he is saying here, that we might know the things which happen freely given to us, that wisdom. What he has done for us, the testimony we have. And so we have to aware of the traps and the pits and the snares and we have to avoid them. I have a study called the Spirit of the World we
shared it last year in the spring http://www.eliyah.com/tran scripts/ on the Roman date of April 11, 2015.
And so Paul says, don't be conformed to it. We can't find what the good and acceptable and perfect will of Elohim is if we're entertaining and embracing and receiving a worldly spirit.
Now, this is a daily process of renewal that happens. It's not an overnight thing that you become a disciple and immediately you know everything and you do everything. We have to unlearn some things that we've learned. Sometimes it's hard to unlearn than it is to learn. We're used to thinking in certain for such a long time, it takes a while to unlearn that and learn a different way of thinking. We didn't understand it's an ongoing process that we seek. We want to let the new thing. The new thing creates new pathways in our brains, new and superior ways of thinking that will in turn change our actions so that we are transformed.
So verse 3 says, for I say through the grace given to me, to everyone who has among you not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think soberly as Elohim has dealt to each one a measure of faith. So we are each on this journey and some of us have been on this path a longer time than others and some of us have started from a different place than others. Some people grew up in abusive households and have a harder time with fears and anxieties and bitterness and anger. Others grew up on good households and have a harder time changing their belief says into something because different than their parents and their sisters and brothers. If you're raised in a traditional Christian household, I think you know what I'm talking about. A different way of thinking, you have to unlearn all these stuff. Someone who grew up on an unbelieving household, they got no problem what in this new stuff--you know, it's not that hard. But listen, we all have a measure of faith and with that comes a responsibility to overcome the obstacles in our lives whatever they might be through this transformed mind and don't look at others as like you're standing on a high post because you have this certain level where you've overcome these things and that you're still working on theirs, when really they already got something kicked down to nothing that you haven't even approached yet being able to kick down on nothing. So get underneath and then bare them up, instead of saying, come up higher where I stand, you know. I myself have areas I'm still struggling with and trying to overcome and get way all ways of thinking going all the way back to childhood that I'm trying to improve my walk. My issues may not be your issues. But we all have things that we're seeking to grow in and improve in our lives and we do have in this time, we grace which not only causes our guilt be far, far away from us, eternally distant from us but that same grace also empowers us to make these changes that we know that we need to make. So we don't all have the same things going on and
don't think yourself more highly than next person because they don't have your issue. Truth be told, they probably have a no problem with something you're having a real issue with. So, humility. Humility. For as we have many members in one body, but
all the members do not have the same function so we, being many, our one body in Messiah and individually members of one another. You know, we talked a lot about, in previous segments, about the body of Messiah and how we have decided now that we're going to agree with the good news. It's no longer we who live. We're crucified with Messiah, we take on his history, his identity, his body, we're a part of his body now. And so now, we're talking about with this body really, it does function like a body and we have many members in one body but not all members have the same function. So just because someone isn't doing what you were doing, whether in ministry or whatever, it doesn't mean you're in a higher place than they are. We all have different functions as members of the body Messiah. If you're not behind a microphone or camera teaching, it doesn't mean you're in a lesser place than I am. I'm in a more dangerous place than you are because teachers receive stricter judgment. And so, you know, the Feast of Tabernacles that we host every year, there's some who do teachings and lead things and there are others who help keep restrooms tidy and wash tables but in my eyes and in Yahweh's eyes, we're all equal. We're all serving the body of Messiah in some necessary capacity.
Doesn't mean one's any better than the other, we're all doing what we are feeling called to do, what we feel we have to do. And as long as it's an act of service toward the people, they're both just acts of service. With the actual services, really doesn't matter so much as long as we're serving in some capacity.
Now, 1 Samuel chapter 30 verses 21-22. David came with 200 men, who had been so worried they could not follow David whom they also had made to stay at the Brook Besor. They went out to meet David and to meet the people who are with them and when David came near the people, he greeted them. He is coming back from the spoils of war. And says, then all the wicked and worthless men of those who went with David answered and said, because he did not go with us. We will not give them any of the spoil that we have recovered except for every man's wife and children that they may lead them away and depart. David said, my brother and you shall do so with what Yahweh has given us, who has preserved us and delivered us--delivered into our hand the troop that came against us for who he do in this matter but as his part as who goes down to the battle, so shall his part be who stays by the supplies they shall share like. So it was from that day forward, he made a statue in the wilderness for Israel to this day. And David's mentality was, well they didn't have that. Yahweh wasn't using them for that but Yahweh use him another capacity so they're guarding the supplies and here, we all get the same thing. So the one who's more visible, you know, I would say people on my particular calling are probably less likely to get the rewards and in the age to come because of the all the pitfalls that are here, whereas the person who's in the background being a helper, serving, you know, doing some of the things that are not so visible, you know, Yahweh's going to, you know, like I said, many who are last shall be first and first, last. So, you know, that's what I'm talking about. We all have different gifts and they don't all have the same function but to each of us has given this measure of faith to use them in proportion. So as it says, Romans 12 6th, having then gift differing according to the grace given to us let us use them if prophecy with prophesy and proportion to our faith or in ministry, let's use it in ministering. He who teaches him, teaching. He exhorts in the exhortation. He who gives with liberality. He who lives with diligence. He who shows mercy with cheerfulness. And so there are 7 spiritual gifts that are listed here in Romans 12.
Prophecy, ministry which means serving, that's one of the areas I feel Yahweh has me. Teaching, another area he has me. Exhortation, sometimes I use that. Giving, sometimes. Leading, sometimes. Mercy, sometimes. Doesn't mean I have everything but certain areas I have stronger gifts than others and probably all of us to some degree have portions but we all have areas of strength and some people may not have any gift at all in one of these seven gifts and that's okay. So how do you know on which ones do I have? Well, there are 2 gifts that we're all given. Everybody has. What are they? First one is the gift of grace and the second one
is the gift of the Holy Spirit. Each one of us have those 2 gifts and we can praise Yahweh for them. Remember that they are gifts, you didn't earn them, you didn't--you can't glorify yourself in them because Yahweh gave them to you. And be like Yahweh--you know, father giving you a present and you just waltz like you've earned when really it was a free gift. But if you're not going any kind of ministry, if
you're not exercising your gifts in a either congregational or societal context at all, mix by in something to you. Everybody is called in the ministry, everybody. The catholic model of the priest with all the gift and they're all doing this upfront and pew warmers and the sitting down paying for the service, you know, here we go. Put the money into the coffers. Some of which has been adopted in some churches.
That's not Yahweh's method. With 1 Corinthians 14 say, anybody has a teaching, a Psalm, a word of exhortation. We're supposed to be a body that's functioning and working together and everybody is called in the ministry. There's never this situation where, well this person is feeling called in the ministry. Everybody is called in the ministry. You, you, and I'm point at you and you and you and all of you are called into ministry. If you're not doing any ministry, you know what, you're not walking the Yahushua walk. Hate to break to you but you're not walking the way his disciples walk either. If you're not busy about our father's business in serving others, and you're living a life of just building your own personal kingdom and serving yourself, you are not pattering your life after Messiah.
Hate to break to you, it's the truth. It's the typical everyday self-serving lifestyle really that's the essence of the so-called American dream, this vision that people have of how they're supposed to go about their life and build up this big old pile of money. And then they are the end of their lives, sitting on top of a big old pile of money, so what?
As I check the caskets are all the same size and many of them realize about that time, the peace and happiness, they sought to obtain through the deceptionist, deception of riches never they come. Let me tell you about Yahweh's dream, Yahweh's dream for you. His vision for you. His vision for you is that you are storing up a
spiritual retirement program that your life would consist of loving and blessing another person. Your life would consist of serving your fellow men, who is in need. The Yahweh dream or the Yahweh's vision for you is that he would see his son Yahushua in you.
And that you would be Messiah's arms and his legs, his fit, his hands reaching out in service to others, to the down trodden.
Everybody and that includes you, whoever I'm talking to. Don't be a goat.
Matthew 25:31 it says, when the son of man comes in his glory and the holy angels with him, all the holy angels with him then he will sit on the throne of his glory. All the nations will be gathered before him and he will separate them one from another. As a shepherd divides his sheep from the goats and he will set the sheep on his right hand but the goats on his left. Then the king will say to those on his right hand, come you blessed of my father. And hear it, the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world, for I was hungry and you gave me food. I was thirsty and you gave me drink. I was a stranger and you took me in. I was naked and you clothed me. I was sick and you visited me. I was in prison and you came to me. Then the righteous will answer him saying, master when do we see you hungry and feed you or thirsty and give you drink? When do we see you a stranger and take you in or naked and cloth you or when do we see you sick or in prison and come to you? The king will answer and say to them, surely I say to you and as much as you did it to the world least of these my brethren, you did to me.
Think about that. Yahushua is in prison right now. Yahushua is sick. He's lonely as a stranger. He's hungry, going to let him starve? Let them go without clothing? Let them brought in prison? You wouldn't do that, would you? Surely, you wouldn't. You live in the American dream? Probably are, probably are.
Then he will also say to those in the left hand, the part for me you cursed into the everlasting in fire prepare for the devil and his angels. For I was hungry and you gave me no food. I was thirsty and you gave me no drink. I was a stranger and you did not take me in. Naked and you did not clothe me. Sick and in prison, and you did not visit me.
Then they also answered him saying, master, when will we see you hungry or thirsty or stranger and naked or sick in a prison and did that minister to you? Never saw you doing that, where were you? Then he will answer them as earlyIsay to you and as much as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to me. And these will go away into everlasting punishment but the righteous, into the eternal life. Say the sheep are those who chose to love. They look around, they saw the needs that were around them, the needs of the people around them, they saw the people that were hurting and they chose to love. And what they were doing was they were loving Yahushua. So you can't love Yahushua and ignore the needs out there at the same time. You can't claim to love him until you love others and this doesn't have to be just some physical sickness and physical poverty and physical prison and physical hunger that we're seeing here. There are people who are hungering in more important ways than the physical. Hungering and thirsting for the righteous living.
Many of you are listening to this broadcast have that hunger and thirst. You want to know what Yahweh says to you about righteous living and I'm glad to share it with you.
And here's one of them, don't be a goat because
there are people who, out there, who are spiritually in prison in slavery to sin and addictions. And there's the blind servant introduced on Christianity. They need to have their eyes opened to the prison house that they are in which keeps them from growing and embracing the full council of Yahweh's word from genesis to revelation because all they seem to focus on is Paul. And there are people who are dealing with these addictions, who were enslaved and in prison to sin. Yahushua can set them free. He's calling you to bring him to him and there are people in this world who they feel like outside or some strangers and no one's want to love them and they need your love. But you're a real family because their family has abandoned them. They need the family of Yahweh to show and take these strangers in. And those who have not embraced the fact that we are Israel, they think they're gentiles, they're actually acting as strangers not even realizing it. As if they were strangers from the call of mount Israel, they need to know you're part of the family of Israel and there are some who were in poverty and don't even realize it. You know, Yahushua said to the assembly in Laodicea
he might was well been talking to the United States of America here because he said, because you say I am rich, I have become wealthy and have needed nothing and do you not know that are rich and miserable, poor, blind and naked. I can sell you to buy for me gold, refine the fire that you maybe reach in white garments. That you maybe clothed but the shame of your nakedness may not be revealed and anoint your eyes salve that you may see as many as I love, I rebuke and chasten. Therefore be zealous and repent and that I say to you too. You're not serving out there, you're not being a part of ministry out there, be zealous and repent and you think you got everything you need. You got your climate controlled homes, you cushy little chair you're sitting in right now. And everything's just fine. And you don't realize poor, visible, blind and naked. So what I'm trying to say is that the world out there needing saved and Yahweh has given to you and to me talents, spiritual gifts and we can't hide our talent in the sand and expect him to be please with us. If you read that parable that actually says, he will cast such a person into outer darkness, where they will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. And so that's the attributes of goats.
You see, as a new creation in Messiah, we have a calling now on our life, a vision. The same way when Yahweh created Adam in the Garden of Eden, he said, go and subdue the earth, take dominion. There are--there is ground that the enemy has taken. We are all created from the dust of the earth, right? All mankind created from the dust of the earth and there is ground, there are people, whom the enemy has gained control of. And we're called to go and subdue the earth. Bring these people under a willing subjection to the Messiah. And that, when Yahushua says, all power has given to me heaven and earth, go therefore and make disciple of all nations, we all have that a part--take a part in that calling to take those areas in our own heart that have been giving the enemy and give them to Yahweh and to bring others who have their hearts not yield to the father and bring them under a subjection to Yahweh as a new creation, as a second Adam, so to speak, as the body of messiah, that's what we're called to do now. That's our created purpose in Messiah. And when you're doing what you are created to do, I tell you what, nothing more glorious. I once bought a bunch of ducks and they are in the cage, they've never seen a pond before. All I had was this little child's, you know, tub for, you know, floating around the water, it was sick, it was gross, the little thing at water and I sit in down by our pond there in front of our house and just I didn't want them to fly away because they could fly but I fed in there by the pond and put there in the water there a little bit and they just, they're chomping at their bill for the next 24 hours. And when I open up that cage, I'll tell you what it was glorious, they're just, they went into that water and they're waggling their little waddles in their just splashing around and sticking their head the water and it's like finally, I'm doing what I'm created to do.
And that's what it's like when you begin to do ministry. You finally understand why you're here. It's not for you to just consume and enjoy, eat, drink and be merry. The consume and enjoy mindset is the American dream that's not Yahweh's vision for you.
Not at all. And so here's the spiritual gifts, through
which he will use to perform great exploits against the enemy but there's more. There's more than prophecy in ministering, teaching exhortation giving leading, and nursing, there's more than that. 1 Corinthians 12 verses 1-3 says, not concerning spiritual gifts brethren, I did not want you to be ignorant. You know that you were gentiles. You were one time gentiles, not anymore. Anyway, carried away to these dumb idols however you were led. That's the filthy looker of the amendment. Therefore I make known to you that no one speaking by the spirit of Elohim calls Yahushua a cursed and no one can say Yahushua is master except by the Holy Spirit. There are diversities of gifts but the same spirit. They are diversities of ministries but the same master. There's a lots of different ministries out there. They're not my competition under my partners. There are other people proclaiming these things, I praise Yahweh for every one of them as long they're teaching truth. There are diversities of activities but the same Elohim works in all but the manifestation of the spirit is given to each one for the prophet of all. Hallelujah. For two, one is given the word of wisdom, the spirit another the word of knowledge to the same spirit, to another faith by the same spirit, another gifts of healings by the same spirit, to another workings of miracles, to another prophecy, to another discerning of spirits, to another different kinds of tongues, to another interpretations of tongues, lots more gifts here. But one same spirit works in all these things distributing to each one individually as he wills. For as the body is one and has many members but all the members of that body being many are one body so also is Messiah. For by one spirit, we are all baptized into one body, whether Jews or Greeks or the slaves or free, and have all been made to drink into one spirit. Beautiful. I don't have time to read the rest of this but skip down to 28. And Elohim has appointed these in the congregation,
first apostles, second prophets, third teachers, after that miracles then gives of healing, helps, administrations, varieties of gifts, varieties of tongues are all apostles? Are all prophets? Are all teachers? Are all workers of miracles? Do all have gifts of healings? Do all speak with tongues? Do all interpret? No. That's the rhetorical answer to a rhetorical question, no. Absolutely not. We all have the same gifts, we're all different
but our earnestly desire the best gifts and I show you a more excellent way. What is the excellent way he's talking about? I'll show you here in a minute. But first let's look at these gifts. We have the word of wisdom, the word of knowledge, faith, gifts of healings, miracle working, discerning of spirits, varieties of tongues, helps, administrations and governing, apostleship.
So lots of gifts but he shows you a more excellent way.
May I ask you a question, ask you a question, of all
these gifts, the story about this man he was a powerful, powerful speaker I mean, eloquent, wise, led many to Messiah. He was a prophet, his wisdom, his understanding was amazing. And he walked in faith, he did miracles on a regular basis and finally before he died, he gave everything he have to the poor only to be murdered in cold blood because of his faith by someone who hated him. Now do you think that man would be in a kingdom?
You might say he'd be in a very high position in the age to come.
Nope. No, not at all. In fact, that man is going to light a fire, who is he? He is the man described in 1 Corinthians 13, though I speak with tongues of men and angels, but have not love. I have become sounding brass or a clanging cymbal and though I have the gift of prophecy and understand all the mysteries and all knowledge and though I have al faith so that I could mountains but I have not love. I am nothing. And though I bestow all my good to feed the poor and though I give my body to be burned but have not love, it profits me nothing. So in all of our efforts to use our gifts let this be a warning to us. That no matter how gifted you are, the context of those gifts and the motivating force in using them is love.
And the context of the use of those gifts must be as follows. Love suffers long and is kind. Love does not envy. Love does not parade itself. It's not puffed up, does not behave real leaders, does not seek its own does not provoke, thinks no evil, does not rejoice in inequity but rejoices in the truth, bares all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never fails whether they're prophecies, they will fail. Whether they are tongues, they will cease.
Whether as knowledge, it will vanish away. What good is it if you have not love?
Peter gives us some more exhortation he says, 1 Peter 4-8, and above all things has fervent love for one another for the love will cover multitude of sins. Be hospitable to one another without grumbling as each one has received a gift, minister it to one another. As good stories are the manifold grace of Elohim through fervent love, minister these gifts. But don't complain about it when you do, and what good does that do, you do something nice for somebody and all you do is complain about it. You were seeing that people do that, I mean, they're doing all these great, nice thing for somebody and then they come home and whine about it. What good is that? Just do it. Minster to one another as good stewards of the manifold grace, we have a certain stewardship that we're called. This grace we have, we have to be a steward of that grace by using our gifts.
If anyone speaks, let them speak as the oracles of Elohim. That verse convicts me that's why I do a lot of scripture quoting. If anyone ministers, let them do it with the ability with which Elohim supplies that in all things Elohim maybe glorified through Yahushua Messiah. The goal is that Elohim maybe glorified. Get that? That Elohim maybe glorified. That's the purpose of our gift. Through Yahushua Messiah to whom belong the glory and dominion forever and ever. The gifts that you have are for his glory not for the glory of man.
And so here are gifts and we added apostleship to that. And like, you know, faith is interesting. The faith will actually be a gift, we got some people just have that unusual amount of faith they just
move mountains. That's a gift. Now, this is not a complete list in the Torah, Yahweh talks about a person having wisdom to do artistic work. And you conclude music in artistic work, certain musicians were in the temple area, they had skills and the instruments and music so I'm not acting like this is the complete list but to illustrate how these gifts can be used and could be a compliment to the body of Messiah. Take a moment here. Suppose someone becomes a believer in Messiah and then overtime, Yahweh sends them say, to some
foreign country to do some missionary work. That's a gift of apostleship, one who is sent. And there he plants a congregation.
Before he goes, someone with the gift of prophecy tells him and believes Yahweh is calling him to this missionary work in the foreign land to plant a congregation there and he praise about it and he sees a clear leading in that direction and someone with the gift of exhortation says some words of admonition, encouragement. This word exhortation means to call to one side. Someone could be an error on something, you call him to your side and you say, hey brother, we are side by side believers overcoming to do with myself but here's something I'm seeing that I think could really help you if you look at this way. Gift of Exhortation is beautiful. I love it. So--or exhortation in a sense that lucky or some things that had you need to be thinking about. Okay. And here they are. So what's more to admonition, what to expect? Another with the gift of administrations and governing sets up and plans the whole thing as far as the practical needs that are having to be done. And so they decide they're going to bring somebody that has the gift of teaching even though one who is the apostle also has that gift. Another person with the gift of helps could be a companion as well, right? And there's always that need gift of help is huge. I know I've benefited greatly from that in my walk so I could see that being a good thing. And another person has the gift of giving and decides he's going to help finance the whole thing were needed. And so a person goes to the foreign land and begins to share with the crowds about the Messiah
and he notices that someone's in need of healing and he just feels led to stand up and exercise the gift of faith that he has and the gift of healing that he has and he works a miracle so that Yahweh's name is glorified and then another person who has a gift of tongue which is how I think it should be used the most, doesn't even know the language of that country and begins to administer to them in their own language. I love to see that. That's the gift of tongue. So and someone with the interpretation explains to the apostle what was said and so this gets all the attention of the people and some people come to salvation and as you're teaching the people, there are certain people who becomes disciples and certain gifts start to manifest themselves among this group. One person will have the gift of leading and clearly leadership gift and faith and teaching and so he and others begin to become more independent in their congregation as leaders but then persecution arise to the missionary and begins to get discouraged but then somebody in the congregation with the gift of mercy comes along and says, hey, I know things are tough.
And person with the gift of ministry begins to minister to him and encourage him and bless him and serve and refresh him with encouragement and love. So he recovers and he decides to go to another province and plant the congregation there and people with a word wisdom and knowledge encourage him in this area and show some things he might expect. And someone with the prophetic gift encourages him to continue. Then another person who has the discerning of spirits says, you know, he's been to that area before, it's a demonic stronghold. He knows it is. He can sense that and so warns that there may be trouble in that area but the Yahushua and his word will prevail. That's beautiful. That's the way it got to be.
That's just one example. We all as believers have gifts in the body messiah that can be used to serve and bless one another and not only one another but people outside the body of messiah, people with the gift of mercy might be compelled to reach out to the homeless, to the fatherless, to the suffering, to be a big brother and a big sister to a fatherless child. But the goal is to bring people into a body of believers where they can really be served and a congregation could have it outreached to nursing homes, the hospitals, to prisons, to create a soup kitchen or develop an online outreach, whatever Yahweh leads, however he leads. And individuals in each area may have sub-ministries. They're doing on their own.
Abortion clinics, reaching out to the young mothers there. You know, a lot of this is best accomplished in the local and congregational setting but I really think a lot of our little fellowship groups becomes self-serving a common here, the Torah, you know, look at each other and enjoy fellowship and go home and there's no outreach. And I think that's why sometimes a lot of in fighting takes place, you know. We have to reach out and as age of electronic and phone communication, we can use our gifts and reach beyond our local group like this missionary did or this ministry you're listening to right now. Yahweh's given me the gift to teaching and there's glory and honor to him for that not me. I didn't want there. I saw that scripture said their teachers get the stricter judgement, I said that's not me. I don't want anything more than I can--I need all of mercy I'm going to get. I don't want to be a teacher but it's like a fire in the bones, you can't stop yourself. Yahweh gives you a gift, you have to use this so here I am in the middle of the woods, my nearest neighbor's a half mile way. I live in a country--in a county here, I'm sorry. There's only one town in whole county, one town, one traffic light in the whole town and whole county has one traffic light. That's it. And there--yet there are hundreds of families who were able to be ministered to in various ways every week and through the website. There are people who are involved with this ministry who are doing that as well and even the Feast of Tabernacles every year, I see gifts in action both in planning and coordinating. When we arrive, it's like a dance, it's like a symphony. Different people know where they best able to serve and they do it and that's beautiful. Those who are poor and getting their needs met, different gifts sow themselves. I just love it. It's glorious. It's the body. It's Messiah. That's what's beautiful about it. And so let's use those gifts brothers and sisters, every one of you have one or two or three or four or five or ten, who knows. So how do you know what's your spiritual gifts are? How do you find your calling? What ministry is Yahweh calling you to? How has he wanting his love to manifest and flow through you to another person? One of the things I typically pray for after someone's baptize as I lay hands on them is that Yahweh will reveal to them their gifts and their callings. That's so important. And the way we find our spiritual gifts is through prayer. Yahweh opened up a door at ministry, show me where to go and if you think it might be he is leading somewhere, take that step forward and serve others and some capacity that motivates you.
You feel led to do. Let Yahweh's spirit confirm that and as sometimes who only shine the light one, you know, we have lamps. We don't have flashlights. We have lamps, the word's a lamp, right? And the lamp only gives you a few steps ahead,that's it. And sometimes only step ahead. You know, we want the flashlight. We want to see the whole thing but sometimes it's only just one step and you take that one step and as you move, more light illuminates more ground and you see where you supposed to go next and eventually he starts to give you a vision where you see the whole thing of what he is wanting to do and to accomplish. If you see areas in the body of messiah that other people seem to overlook, as a source of frustration to you, listen, don't get frustrated. That maybe the signal Yahweh is calling you to do that, to work on that particular area. Yeah, it's so easy to sit back and just be on the couch and criticize. But then what are you doing about it? Rather than criticizing the way things are, why not go to puff your hind and in love go do something about it. Not in bitterness. Be careful about that some people are motivated by bitterness and entire ministry is--are build and out of balance, great judgment on condemning about this side of the other and, you know some people just want to get back of the Christians who hurt them, you know. So, ministry isn't an effort to publicly shame and humiliate Christians in the compliance. If your motivation is hatred, that's not from Yahweh's spirit. Let your motivation be love and then out of love, we want to reach one another and bring more of messiah into that particular area where he is not and so you need inspiration born out of
Yahweh's leading in your life.
What do believers do or that disappoint you? What does this world do that disappoints you?
It's not to end all test. What is being help you get thinking and praying about what gifts Yahweh has given you? What strengths do you have? If you're concerned about the way the body of messiah compromises with the world commits sin, ask Yahweh for the gift of prophecy to manifest his self. The lack of a fully sound doctrine concerns you, you have a gift of teaching perhaps. If you're bothered with the lack of true, act of serving in the body of messiah, your gift might be ministry and serving. If you're concerned about believers not growing to full maturity, could be the gift of exhortation. If you're concerned about the overall direction, the body messiah not having any real goals, no leadership and yet you have leadership skills, the gift of leading and organizing, get up and do something. That's a gift, it's one of the gifts, administrations. If what concerns is the lack of understanding and mercy, you may have the gift of mercy. See people not giving like the scriptures instruct financially you may be the first one to offer a financial gift when it's needed, you have the gift of giving. Lots of different ways. Now, some of you may have portions of these or even all or whatever but Yahushua, he possesses the fullness of every single one of these gifts, every single one. So, yeah, we may have more concentrated thing in one area and different parts of the body performing different functions. And some will have more gifts than others, some will have 10 talents, some 5, 12, there's just 1. Yahweh may add more gift as existing gifts are used. Yahushua had them all but we're just a part of the body of messiah don't look down on others. If they're not exercising your gift or your calling. Pauses I wish and to all wimp all memory even as myself. Each one has its own gift from Elohim, one in this manner and one other than that. He's actually talking about being able to be celibate and unmarried there, that's a gift. Some people just have that. No desire from here with whatsoever. And we see Yahweh used him in great capacity to minister.
So it's important to recognize that our differences don't have free points to division or points of condemnation. You're not doing this over year, well that's not what he's called to. Yahushua's in the heavens right now and he wants to live out his glorified life through us. And none of us are the whole manner of Yahushua and all his glory. Probably because we can't be only present ourselves but we are each a part of him scattered across the earth. And I'll you what, if you're walking in depression, I know an elder. His wife died. He was depressed. He couldn't seem to pull out. It was until he started ministering. He went to a conference and brothers say, hey, can you give us a teaching on this or that and all of the sudden the light turned on, he woke and he was completely pulled out of depression because he began to serve other people. He saw the needs of people began to serve them, you know I tell you what, when you're doing something worthwhile, you don't feel so worthless. That's just how it is. If you don't--if you feel worthless, you might not be doing anything really worthwhile by sitting around like this man was, he wake up, he looked at the walls, he think, you know, he had all kind of fears and he was a doubter. I respected him and he was just struggling. We come over and try to minister to him and nothing would help. No talking to, no music, no singing, nothing. It wasn't until he begin serving, he pulled out depression. And take a step. You don't have to be perfect to be effective. Yahushua denied Pete--or Peter denied Yahushua three times and still used him. Certainly he can use us. He's not looking for perfect people. He died for imperfect people who are in the process of sanctification, who are in the process of discipleship. What he's looking for people--what he's looking for is not perfect people but people who are willing to be used by him. Alone, we're just a body part sitting by itself. Together, we can function more effectively. I'm not talking about building an organization (another one) or a big denomination or whatever. I'm talking about everyone being contributors to the organism that is the body of Messiah. We are a holy priesthood on the earth called to be Yahweh's voice, Yahweh's messenger, the light of the world that can't be hidden. Don't stop--don't hide the light under a bowl. Get it out, put it on a lamp stand. You don't have to have a college degree. The only degree we need is a high degree of heat on your thermometer. We can't be lukewarm anymore. We need to put a stop to the American dream mentality. Step away from the American playground and into the spiritual battleground to take dominion for Yahweh, put down the toys, pick up the armor of Yahweh and fight the good fight. I want to tell you about a ministry that is created
specifically to help you identify what your spiritual gifts are and to give you a avenue through which others can learn about those callings, those ministries that you have, a centralized place where people can learn, "Okay, this person needs to know whatever. This person's knowledgeable about homeschooling, they can help somebody else who's just getting started at homeschooling." There's just all kinds of different things. This person has a ministry on abortions or this person is a prison ministry or this person has whatever it is. We can all have a central place where we could learn about each other's ministries and be served. So--but--and also is there, we do interview. If I'm there, I try to be there. if I'm not, I can't but I try to have a voice here. But you get interviewed, a little phone conversation, phone conference and we can talk to you and learn about you and help you identify what your spiritual gifts are. And the website is serveyhwh.org. Brother Richard, the one that opened this up today in prayer is leading that ministry and it's a fantastic way of learning what your gifts and your callings are and I encourage you to participate.
Remember what I said because I don't say this every week, the parable of the talents, the parable of the sheep and the goats, it can literally be a salvational thing whether you're truly walking in the very basic elements of love, loving your neighbor as yourself or you're not. It's serious. And so just as in 1 Corinthians 12 where Paul talks about the gifts, connects that with love, Peter talks about love and connects that with the gifts. In Romans 12, Paul goes on and talks about let love be without hypocrisy. Abhor what is evil. Cling to what is good. Be kindly affectionate to one another with brotherly love and honoring--in honor--giving preference to one another. Not lagging in diligence, fervent in spirit, serving the master. So in the use of our gifts, we need to be diligent. Not lazy, be diligent. Not lagging in diligence. Be fervent in spirit, serving our master Yahushua. With kind affection, with brotherly love prefer one another, abhor what's evil, cling to what's good and do not be a hypocrite. These are our admonitions. Rejoicing in hope, patient when we receive tribulation because we're all going to get tribulation and so you continue steadfastly in prayer. Hold one moment please. Distributing to the needs of the saints.
Given the hospitality, open up your house to strangers. Bless those that persecute you. Bless and do not curse. You're going to get persecuted. You're going to be hated. Some people, they go into ministry, they get a little opposition, they get upset, they get bitter, they walk away and say, "I'm not going to do that anymore." Wait a minute.
I thought that was a part of the program we signed up for? I thought that's what we signed up for was persecutions and tribulations and trials and I signed up for Yahweh's dream, not the American dream, sorry. Patience and tribulation goes with the territory. You'll be slandered, you'll be hated, it goes with the territory. I get slandered all the time. It goes with the territory, accept it. Truth is, what they think of you isn't going to matter in the end anyway. Rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep. That's what it means to be connected to the body. You see somebody weeping and rejoicing. Rejoice with them, weep with them, we're all connected. Be of the same mind toward one another. Do not set your mind on high things but associate with the humble. This is important. What I've learned the--to look for humble men.
I found those who are manifesting a lot of pride cause nothing but trouble. I look for humble men to associate with. Do not be wise in your own opinion. We got nothing compare to Yahweh's infinite wisdom. Repay no one evil for evil. When they do evil to you, don't give it back to them. Have regard for good things in the sight of all men. If it is possible, sometimes it isn't, as much as depends on you, live peaceably with all men even those who are against you. When men's ways please Yahweh, the proverb said even Yahweh makes even his enemies to be at peace with another. They're enemies but they're not bothering them anymore. Beloved, do not avenge yourselves but rather give place to wrath for it's written vengeance is mine I will repay, says Yahweh.
Fantastic admonitions here. I love these. Therefore if your enemy is hungry, feed him. If he is thirsty, give him a drink for in so doing you will heap coals of fire on his head. Do not be overcome by evil but overcome evil with good. That's the key because goodwill triumph over evil. It will. These are the attributes of the Messiah. These are the words of wisdom and knowledge that we need to keep in mind as we minister to people. These are the characteristics of the Messiah. There will be people who will mistreat you. You cannot be discouraged. You can overcome their evil with Yahweh's goodness. That's the way of the Messiah. Paul quotes from proverbs saying he coals a fire on their head. Feed them, give them something to drink. That's quoting from proverbs. That's--loving your enemy is actually something they are practicing when King Solomon was reigning in Jerusalem. That's not a New Testament idea. It's not a new thing whatsoever.
Loving your enemy is a normal way of how Yahweh himself has treated us who are his enemy, he loved us anyway. The choice is not whether we're going to love him back and whether we're going to manifest his image to those people who are around us and love those who are unloving. Because when you start working in the trenches and ministering to people, I don't care if you're a believer or non-believer, you're going to get it. You're going to get--they're going to try to slap you down. The enemy can be using a believer or an un-believer to do so but you cannot get discouraged because listen, how they act, you cannot associate that with the Messiah. Messiah didn't act that way. You can't associate him with what other people do. It's two different things. They can claim to be a believer and act totally rotten but don't associate our fate with that. Associate that with someone who happens to be struggling with anger and bareness or whatever they're doing to you. They're have been times when people just downright hated my guts and I have tried to figure out why. I didn't understand it. What do you hate about me? I--so I just showed love to them. And I didn't--other people, I didn't know hate me and I just showed loved to them and they came to me in tears and confessed that they had problems
with me and they were sorry. They thought these things about me because of what other people had said and they came to me and said, "I'm sorry I thought these things about you. I even spoke against you." Yeah, I didn't know. I had no idea. I thought they were my brother and I always treat them--but they weren't acting like a brother to me and that alright. Yahweh--listen, we all need grace. I need it. I need it every single day in my life. So when you minister, a position and struggle and challenge and difficulty and the groaning that we get every day against the things going on in the world today, that's all part of it. Like it or not, that's what you signed up for when you start ministering to people. But that cause--a lot of people just, "I'm checking out of here. I'm going to do--back to my American dream, build my own little farm on my property here and get me a flock of sheep going or go--get higher up in my corporate American and make a buck and have my 2.4 children and my car in the garage in my suburban neighborhood and here we are." And die, having no
spiritual retirement program to speak of.
So that's my admonition in this area of Romans chapter 12. Please don't forget it. I don't talk about it every week but it's that important. Let's move on to Romans chapter 13. It says let every soul be subject to the governing authorities for there is no authority except from Elohim and the authorities that exist are appointed by Elohim. Therefore whoever resist the authority resist the ordinance of Elohim and those who resist will bring judgment on themselves. For rulers are not a terror to good works but to evil. Do you want to be unafraid of authority--the authority? Do what is good and you will have praise from the same. Now where did Paul get the idea authorities that exist are appointed by Elohim? Daniel 2:20 says Daniel answered and said, "Blessed be the name of Elohim forever and ever for wisdom and might are his. And he changes the times and the seasons. He removes kings and raises up kings. He gives wisdom to the wise and knowledge to those who have understanding." Psalm 75:6 says, "For exultation comes neither from the east nor from the west nor from the south but Elohim is judge. He puts down one and exalts another. So not a fresh idea here in the book of Romans 13.Pslam 113:7 says, "He raises the poor out of the dust and lifts up--lifts the needy out of the ash. He--that he may seatt him with the princess--with princess of his people." And Pilate when he's talking to Yahushua, he said, "Are you not speaking to me? Do you not know I have the power to crucify you and the power to release you?" Yahushua answered, "You could have no power at all against me unless it had been given to you from above. Therefore the one who delivered me to you is the greater sin. So this has been long established and so we
should be subject to the governing authorities in the land in which we happen to live. Now the question might be reign, why would he say rulers are not a terror to good works but to evil? I mean, Paul experienced with rulers in various cities and even Judaism was--sometimes they terrorized him. So why is he saying this? I mean, certainly Paul himself was doing a great work but he got some opposition. We have another example here in 1 Peter 2:11-13.
Beloved, I beg you as sojourners and pilgrims, abstain from fleshly lusts which war against the soul, having your conduct honorable among the Gentiles that when they speak against you," didn't say if, "when they speak against you as evil doers, they may by your good works which they observe, a glorify Elohim in the day of visitation." Therefore submit yourselves to every ordinance of men for the master's sake whether to king of supreme or to governors as to those who were sent by him for the punishment of evildoers. That's why--that's their calling. And for the praise of those who do good, that is the office they are called to be in. The office of a ruler is to be a punishment--a punishing force of evil doers and to praise the ones who do good. That is their office. They don't always fulfill that office properly. But that's the office of a ruler and that's what I think he's talking about when he says rulers are not a terror to good works. Their office that they hold is to punish evildoers and offer praise to those who do good. This is the will of Elohim that by doing good, you may put the silence to ignorance of foolish men because there foolish men who are in office. As free yet not using liberty as a cloak for vise but as bond servants of Elohim. Honor all, love the brotherhood, fear Elohim, honor the king. So that's our admonition in how we should relate to human governance. Both Peter and Paul admonish us to do what Yahushua did. He subjected himself the ordinances of men so that there would not be a stumbling block before their path but that doesn't mean every king of the earth is perfectly righteous in their office of rulership. Says, "It's an abomination for kings to commit wickedness for a throne is established by righteousness," Proverb 16:12. But we should submit ourselves to every
ordinance of men for the master's sake, even those ordinances we think are unnecessary. Yahushua's own example in Matthew 17:24 is when they come to Capernaum, those who receive a temple tax came to Peter and said, "Has your teacher not paid the temple tax?" he said, "Yes." And when he come to the house, Yahushua anticipated him saying, "What do you think Simon? From whom to the kings of the earth take customs or taxes from their sons or from strangers?" Peter says, "From strangers." Yahushua said to him, "Then the sons are free while the father--here's the son right here, he's free. Nevertheless, less we offend them, cause them to stumble, go to the sea, cast and a hook, and take the fish that comes first. When he've open his mouth, you will find a piece of money. Take that and give it to them for me and you." So submit yourselves to the ordinance of men for the master's sake.
And some of the ordinances may make no sense to you whatsoever but heed them.
Just--now the ordinances that are contrary to Yahweh's ordinances, do you still submit to those? I mean, we're submit ourselves to every ordinance of men, every ordinance of men for the master's sake. How do you resolve this? How do you resolve it when a husband we know who's in
a position of leadership in the family, he gives an ordinance, he gives a command, he gives something he wants his family to do and it's wrong. It's unscriptural. It's a sin to do it. What do you do? Do you listen to it? Do you obey it? the scripture says the wives submit to your husbands. What do you do? Well Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego were willing to be burned alive rather than commit adultery, right? Daniel who was otherwise very respectful, very submissive would not eat the unclean food set before him or food offered to idles but Yahweh delivered probably because he was so respectful about it. And the same is true with a husband and wife relationship. Wives are told to submit themselves to their husbands but the husband asks the wife to do something contrary to the word of Elohim, they should be very respectful and very--be very reverent, make a prayerful appeal to the husband. But it comes down to the last minute, the very last minute and she is confronted with a decision and Yahweh has not delivered her from that--having to do that thing, she would have to respectfully, with humility and meekness, decline to do the thing that Yahweh forbids.
But no authority exists without Yahweh appointing that authority. Yahweh places kings and governors in positions of authority. He places the husband in a position of headship in the family so he has a position of authority. And with authority--why is there authority there? What's it there for, just for a man to sit back fire off orders? No. It's there because he has a responsibility.
And so you can't have responsibility without authority. The kings are responsible for leading a nation so they have to have authority. The husband's responsible for leading a family, he has to have the authority. Now if the wife chooses not to obey that authority, he has no biblical grounds to punish her but he has biblical grounds to give her to Yahweh for discipline. Only children do we discipline. But we must submit ourselves, men, to every
ordinance of men for the master's sake. You look and you--I think it applies to us because you're driving down the road 80 miles an hour in a 55 zone, I mean show your wife what it means to submit yourself to the men's ordinances. Go 55 miles an hour, stop at the stop signs for the master's sake. Sometimes I don't want to stop at a stop sign. I want to make a rolling stop and I'll say, "Okay, for the master's sake. I'll do it. I'll even say it at my head, "For the master's sake I'll stop, a complete stop. Okay, now I can go." Because they do pull you over for rolling stops. Respect the laws of the land. Set the example in your household men. If you set the example of being a rebellious men toward human authority, don't be surprised if your wife and children follow the same thing. You set the example. Okay. Now wives, you don't have the right to nudge your husband too hard, just pray for him.
Get convicted. So men--something about men, we don't like being pulled around by the nose. We like respectful appeals.
It's because there is something built in us to lead. And if there's a threat to that leadership then there's problem. Now so if you're pulled over by the police, you got this bible bumper sticker in your car, how glorious is that? It's not glorious. So you hear what I'm saying? Sometimes I make a rolling stop and I shouldn't. Sometimes I bleed [ph] over the speed limit a little bit and I shouldn't. Submit yourself to every--that's the commandment in the bible. It's a sin to not submit myself to every ordinance of men for the master's sake. So he is Elohim's ministry for good. But if you do evil, be afraid for he does not bear the sword in vain for he Elohim's minister, an avenger to execute wrath on him who practices evil. Therefore he must be subject not only because of wrath but also for conscience's sake. For because of this, he also pay taxes for they're Elohim's ministers who--attending continually to this very thing. Render therefore to all they're due, taxes to whom taxes are due, customs to whom customs, fear to whom fear, honor to whom honor.
I know there are people out there that say, "Oh, you don't have to pay income tax. Constitution outlaws the income tax or the law's actual as it's written tell us we don't have to pay taxes." And for some reason, the judges don't agree with him and their interpretation. And their interpretation actually--the one you got may actually be the right one but guess what the judges decide how their interpret their own laws so they don't agree. You're sitting in prison. The judges at land decide how their laws will be interpreted, not you. Show some respect. Pay your taxes, be that one that don't have to fight that. I mean, some people say, "Well my tax money is funding abortions and I don't feel right about that." And I imagine tax money in Rome was probably going for a whole lot of worst things. Your tax money, it goes in to feed the poor too and food stamps and SSI and caring for the downtrodden, the injured, the fatherless, the widow. It's not all bad. I mean, it's not like they're physically taking your dollar bill and saying, "Here abortion clinic, use this." It goes into one big pile of numbers on a computer screen and gets lost and just look at it like your money is going to care for the elderly, the fatherless and the poor and the widow and move on because some of the government money is spend in that. So how should we relate to our present situation? I see ourselves as a--as Israel. Our homeland is overseas in the land and we're in exile. And how did Yahweh expect Judah to respond when they were in exile? We have a precedence. Thus says Yahweh of hosts--Jeremiah 29:4, thus
says Yahweh of hosts, the mighty one of Israel to all who were carried away captive whom I have caused to be carried away from Jerusalem to Babylon, build houses and dwell in them. Plant gardens and eat their fruit. Take wives and beget sons and daughters and take wives for your sons and give your daughters to husband so that they may bear sons and daughters that you may be increased there and not diminished and seek the peace of the city where I have caused you to be carried away captive and pray to Yahweh for it. For in its peace, you will have peace.
And the principle here has ongoing support as Paul wrote Timothy--1 Timothy 2:1-4, therefore I exhort first of all that supplications, prayers, intercessions and giving of things be made for all men. For kings and all who are in authority that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all righteousness and reverence for this is good and acceptable in the sight of Elohim our savior who desires all men to be saved, to come to the knowledge of the truth. So we make prayers and supplications, intercessions and even Thanksgiving be made for kings, for those in authority so that we may live this quiet and peaceable life that he calls us to live.
So prayer is the answer. When you see our president doing wrong things, no amount of slander has ever changed the way things are going in government today. Since our current president has been inaugurated into office, how much of your slander against him has resulted in anything changing for good? Not one bit. It's your prayers. It's your prayers that's going to bring--because Yahweh directs the hearts of kings and those in authority. It's your prayers. That's what s going to change things.
Titus 1--or Titus 3:1-3, remind them to be subject to rulers and authorities to obey, to be ready for every good work, to speak evil of no one, to be peaceable, gentle, showing all humility to all men. Speak evil of no one. For we ourselves, we're also once foolish, disobedient, deceived, serving various lust and pleasures, living in malice and envy, hateful and hating one another. You were once stranger in Egypt. You were once a slave in Egypt yourself. But when the kindness and love of Elohim our savior
toward men appeared not by works of righteousness which we have done but according to his mercy, he saved us through the washing and regeneration and renewing of the Holy Spirit and he poured out on us abundantly through Yahushua, Messiah, our savior that having been justified by his grace, we should become heirs according to the hope of eternal life. So we got that gift and they don't have it yet and we need to pray for them. Don't have them, don't slander them. We were there once. If Yahweh hadn't saved us by his grace and justified us by his grace, we're probably right there with them doing the same things.
So you know what to do, right? You know what to do. Brothers, sisters, let's do it. Let's do it. Owe no one anything, Romans 13:8, except to love one another for he who loves another has fulfilled law. Owe no one anything, interesting words. Kind of has a little bearing on our debt driven society, our credit card driven society. You might suggest verse 8 here could be used to tell us that we shouldn't go into debt, might be a pretty good case for it. I bought my current home in 2002, I still owe some on it. But I sold it, I would not be in debt anymore. So am I really in debt? I mean, I have my house as an asset to offset the debt I'm in. So I'm not sure how to look at that exactly but scripture does say, "The rich rules over the poor," Proverbs 22:7,"and the burrower is a slave," the word slave in Hebrew, "to the lender, servant to the lender." And 1 Corinthians 7:23 says, "You were bought at a price. Do not become slaves of men." So you might look at the two scriptures as say, "Wait a minute, maybe those debt thing isn't a good idea." I think I have to agree. And so I think it's pretty good case here that we should not be in debt. If somebody's poor and have not other recourse but to borrow money, I don't believe it would be wrong to borrow but it would be wrong for someone to charge them interest. Proverbs 28:8, one who increases his possessions by usury and extortion gathers it for him who will pity the poor. You're not supposed to charge interest and usury to those who are poor, take advantage of the poor. The real sinner is the banking system, those interest rates, raking in the cash. I mean, I read where the big three banks profited $5.1 billion in overdraft fees alone last year.
They continued taking advantage of the poor and it's a corrupt, evil system that Yahweh hates.
So owe no one anything except to love one another for he who loves another has fulfilled the law for the commandments. You shall not commit adultery, you shall not murder, you shall not steal, you shall not bear false witness, you shall not covet. And if there's any other commitment, all are summed up in this saying namely you shall love your neighbor as yourself. Love does no harm to a neighbor therefore love is the fulfillment of the law. So these are commandments dealing with loving your neighbor, how could love--what about loving Yahweh, is that missing here somewhere?
Nope. By this we know that we love the children of Elohim when we love Elohim and keep his commandments.
And we also love Elohim by loving those who are our neighbor, reaching out and being a sheep and not a goat. So you can't live and love your neighbor until you love Yahweh first and that's the first and great command.
Romans 13:11, and do this knowing the time that now it is high time to awake out of sleep. Wake up brothers. Get off your easy chair, pick up the armor of Yahweh for now our salvation is near than we first believed. The night is far spent, the day is at hand therefore let's cast off the works of darkness and let us put on the armor of light. Let us walk properly as in the day not in revelry, in drunkenness. Put down the beer cans, brothers, we don't need that stuff. Not in lewdness, not in lust, not in strife, and not in envy. These are things that are of the world, not of the
spirit of Yahweh. Put away those things, walk properly.
Put on the master Yahushua. You ever wonder, is this right? Ask yourself, would Yahushua do this?
That cuts right to the bone, right to the bone. And would Yahushua do this? Is this what he would be doing right now? Ask yourself that question. If you ever wonder whether it's right or wrong, ask that question. I'm putting on the master Yahushua to do this right here. I'm putting him on, he'll do this right here. Will he be doing that? Just as longer you who lives, Messiah lives in you. The life what you now life, you live by faith in the son of Elohim who loves him--loved you and gave himself for you. So put on the master Yahushua and make no provision at all for the flesh to fulfill its lust. Don't even give it a centimeter. Because if you give the devil just enough to crack open the door, he can stick his foot in there and then he can bust it wide open. But if you just keep the door shut, keep the door shut, don't let him in. Don't entertain him, don't even open the door to look at him. Hear him knocking? Ignore it. Say in the name of Yahushua, that's not me. I reject that in Yahushua's name. I want no part of that. That's not me. I have put on the master Yahushua. I don't want to make an provision for the flesh. If your spouse wants to argue and fight and get into a big shouting match over something, say, "I'm sorry, I'm walking away." The beginning of strife is like one that let's out water and I'm not going to engage in that. I don't want to be in the flesh. We could talk about it later but I don't want to argue about it. I don't want to strife. I don't want to be engaged in debate and arguing and anger and all those ugly things that are mentioned in Galatians 5 which if we practice, we will not enter the kingdom. I don't want to go there.
Let's walk in the spirit and we won't fulfill the lust of the flesh, love, joy, peace, kindness, goodness. I tell you what, one thing I've learned is the more involved you are in ministry, the more outward focus you are, less you're looking at the faults of the one next to you. You're just so focused on blessing and serving somebody else, you don't sit and argue about stuff so much. Even democrats and republicans were singing, "God, bless America," when 9/11 happened and all that. They're all singing together and I'm like, "These guys are enemies in the same room and they're all singing together in one unity, one accord.
This lesson entered my head. Wait a minute, if we really realize that we are all fighting a common enemy in the body of Messiah, there wouldn't be so much in-fighting.
So that's our admonitions in Romans 12 and in Romans 13. And brothers and sisters, a lot of good stuff here in the book of Romans. We see the way things have trended so far from the very beginning. We're talking about Jews and Gentiles being called in repentance and faith in Messiah and then how we become the body of the Messiah and what that means. And we're not enslaved to sin anymore and that we are called. We have a calling on our life, a vision in our--Yahweh has for us to walk out and that calling is followed up by the gifts of the spirit being used in ministry. And that ministry must be spiritual in nature and not carnal in nature. We have to be respectful toward those who are in authority as we proclaim this awesome and amazing kingdom of Yahweh that's not of this world. If it was of this world, we'd fight. But we don't fight. We submit ourselves to every ordinance of men for the master's sake. Vengeance is Yahweh's, he will repay. So let's walk in purity and love and let's pray.
Father Yahweh, in the name of Yahushua Hamashiach, I pray father Yahweh that this message will be a springboard that would cause people to move forward in ministry, in their calling, in their gift to live the unselfish life, to live the
crucified life, to live the life that you--your son Yahushua lived. Oh Yahweh, cause your people to come together in unity against the common enemy. We know that we wrestle not against flesh and blood but against principalities and powers and things in high places that seek to destroy and kill and steal. But you father in a higher place, you are the most high and we want to take ground away from the enemy
as your people. And father, any areas you want me to lead in this, I pray you to show me what to do. I want to see your people come together and serve
and bless and build up each other and take dominion and subdue the earth as a new creation in the Messiah Yahushua. Help us to be overcomers, make no provision for the flesh and put on your armor of light. And having done all, we may be able to stand in that last day. Bring our own bodies into subjection and discipline ourselves in service and in love.
We want to be a reflection of your image and you are serving us every single day. And for that we praise you. For truly yours is the kingdom and powering glory forever and ever. Father forgive us where we have been goat-like. Forgive us and empower us to be as Yahushua's sheep and establish your kingdom on this earth. We long for it. We grown for it. We look for it. Help us to establish it in our hearts now and spread it to the hearts of all men. Let them see when they see the body of Messiah, a people who love each other, who serve each other, who bless each other. Let the aroma of Messiah be always present within us. Let your kingdom be manifest in Yahushua's
great name and only through him do we live, only through him are we anything at all, we praise you in Yahushua's name, amen.